Talk:Tippex

RFV discussion: March–April 2019

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Tippex

Brand name of a correction fluid (whiteout). See WT:BRAND. DCDuring (talk) 02:33, 26 March 2019 (UTC)

I have cited the use as a verb. As for the noun senses, while I believe them, it is very difficult to distinguish the use of a genericised noun from the use of the brand name. It does appear in lower case a lot (tippex), which would seem to indicate a generic use, but this entry is for the upper case version. Here in New Zealand, the brand name Twink has a similar use, and we have it listed as twink. Kiwima (talk) 03:08, 26 March 2019 (UTC)

Cheap comment without actually citing: this is a hugely well-known term in Britain and I actually called the stuff "Tipp-Ex" before I knew the generic term "white-out": I literally didn't know a generic term for it at first. Note that the brand name does have that hyphen. (Bonus memory: my father called it "Snopake" [snow + opaque?], another brand name. "White-out" is not a very common term here.) Equinox ◑ 03:12, 26 March 2019 (UTC)

For the noun it is almost impossible to establish with absolute certainty that the use does not refer specifically to the product with that brand name rather than any similar correction fluid, but note that the brand name is actually Tipp-Ex. Also, many uses make less sense when assuming the author meant to be brand-specific: [1], [2] [3], [4]. Some uses of the verb: [5], [6], [7].  --Lambiam 03:32, 26 March 2019 (UTC)

I have added some cites that I think look pretty generic in their use. Given that, Equinox's statement that it is used generically, and the difference in spelling from the brand name, I would call this one cited. Kiwima (talk) 03:37, 26 March 2019 (UTC)

Kiwima has been very noble, given my sceptical attempt to kill "LOL". Some goody-goody in me always wants to centralise genericised trademarks on the official TM spelling but I don't suppose that would reflect usage here. ("Tipp-Exed" as a verb looks awful.) Thanks everyone. Equinox ◑ 08:14, 26 March 2019 (UTC)

I am skeptical about uppercase usage being of a generic term in English. Uppercase Twink would benefit from citations if we are to have an entry. There about half a dozen redlinks to it. DCDuring (talk) 11:09, 26 March 2019 (UTC)

The "particular brand" definition is in its face a violation of our policy of exclusion of brand names that have not become generic. DCDuring (talk) 11:52, 26 March 2019 (UTC)

Yeah, I'm not happy with those noun defs. OTOH I would not like to see them defined as "any white-out" because generally it will be Tipp-Ex. I suppose uhhh we should treat it like hoary genericides such as kleenex, band-aid and xerox? Equinox ◑ 13:21, 26 March 2019 (UTC)

The last umpteen times I used whiteout, it was from a different brand. Even BiC, the owner of the Tipp-Ex trademark, sells correction fluids with the brand names Wite·Out and Cover-it.  --Lambiam 15:06, 26 March 2019 (UTC)

RFV-passed Kiwima (talk) 22:00, 2 April 2019 (UTC)