tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post8492509717394570199..comments2024-03-28T10:41:26.999-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: Zarf is a Noun; Google is a Verb Danihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-25730808216631112402012-08-21T18:53:51.804-06:002012-08-21T18:53:51.804-06:00Dani - I'd love to have fun with some follow u...Dani - I'd love to have fun with some follow up.<br /><br />Liza - my brother still has one rotary phone, too. A neighborhood child wanted to know if she could play on their swing set and he told her she'd have to call her mom for permission. She came back out and said, "I don't know how to do it."<br /><br />Meanwhile, my grandson has been iPad savvy since before he turned 3. <br />Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-63385389762678795542012-08-21T14:49:09.475-06:002012-08-21T14:49:09.475-06:00If I can't get it in context, I look a word up...If I can't get it in context, I look a word up. I did look up zarf. And, while we have most of the latest and greatest technology in our house...I do still have one rotary phone. My nineteen year old daughter though, doesn't know how to use it.Lizahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16170701034715108039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-35779708222056465992012-08-21T14:39:05.612-06:002012-08-21T14:39:05.612-06:00I keep learning more and more including the word &...I keep learning more and more including the word "generification" which spell check doesn't like. This wiki about generic trademarks is really fascinating. I kept trying to remember what I'd read about a Kleenex court ruling and this hits on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_trademark So, based on this, I'm thinking lower case kleenex would be correct in a novel. Let the conversation continue - we might have to do a follow-up post! Terry, you get dibs, if you want to continue on the front page.Danihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-90117352675600007342012-08-21T14:01:05.249-06:002012-08-21T14:01:05.249-06:00Dani - thanks for that link. I love it when people...Dani - thanks for that link. I love it when people share cool stuff.<br /><br />Maryann - definitely a good discussion. I think we owe it to our readers to be as accurate as possible, even down to knowing what's a trademark and what's generic. Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-42058548675826233862012-08-21T13:32:27.922-06:002012-08-21T13:32:27.922-06:00Wow, this is a great discussion. Thanks for those ...Wow, this is a great discussion. Thanks for those links, Terry and Dani. It really is important for us to use trademarked product names properly. We may not get sued, but every time we do it wrong, we perpetuate the mistake. A new writer might say, Oh, she didn't capitalize Dumpster, so I don't have to. Which is probably what happened with that editor I worked with. She was relying on general usage.Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-18286253401851167442012-08-21T13:03:37.406-06:002012-08-21T13:03:37.406-06:00Around here, we use the dictionary so much, we nam...Around here, we use the dictionary so much, we named it Dick. LOL. Here's an interesting link to defunct trademarks, too. http://www.rinkworks.com/words/eponyms.shtmlDanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-10259107272346580642012-08-21T12:28:23.110-06:002012-08-21T12:28:23.110-06:00Silfert - good for you. I'm amazingly lazy abo... Silfert - good for you. I'm amazingly lazy about things like that. And it seems, the older I get, the fewer new words stick with me. However, I doubt I'll forget Zarf. Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-49445226372903800572012-08-21T12:14:41.717-06:002012-08-21T12:14:41.717-06:00Even if the context gives me an idea of the meanin...Even if the context gives me an idea of the meaning of an unfamiliar word, I still look it up. We have three dictionaries in the front room, not counting the various foreign language versions. ;)silferthttp://stitchtunes.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-86306618058883069852012-08-21T09:46:17.895-06:002012-08-21T09:46:17.895-06:00OK -- just in case anyone here is or thinks they m...OK -- just in case anyone here is or thinks they might be interested someday, here's the link to TESS, which is the trademark database site.<br /><br />http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=tess&state=4002:7qi71c.1.1Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-57971784463014985402012-08-21T09:24:51.917-06:002012-08-21T09:24:51.917-06:00Linda, there's an on line website for research...Linda, there's an on line website for researching trademarks, and once you get the hang of where to search (and if your publisher demands it, they'll tell you!), it's relatively easy to make sure you've got things right. If I find the site, I can come back and post it later.<br />Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-88422872563669084042012-08-21T09:11:44.190-06:002012-08-21T09:11:44.190-06:00Somewhere (probably still packed) I have a book th...Somewhere (probably still packed) I have a book that lists registered and trademarked names, and I've found proper noun dictionaries available online. Both are good resources when we write because so many names have become common usage (Kleenex® rather than tissue, for example). Regarding Laundromat, Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition, states that laundromat (not capitalized) was a former service mark for automatic washers. Apparently, the common usage has won out…or the service mark expired.<br /><br />This is an interesting post, Terry. Thanks for sharing.Linda Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06686488133905538811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-7266726673690105612012-08-21T09:11:00.747-06:002012-08-21T09:11:00.747-06:00Helen - yes, having the lookup function on my Nook...Helen - yes, having the lookup function on my Nook is great. I don't read on my computer, but I can see how that feature is helpful there. I doubt the Dempsey Dumpster people would create a furor over a lower case use of their product, but it's still "wrong" to use the term generically.Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-39738264880586003682012-08-21T09:01:21.998-06:002012-08-21T09:01:21.998-06:00I do stop to look up words, especially if I'm ...I do stop to look up words, especially if I'm on the computer. It's so easy and it's nice to learn new words.<br /><br />Does anyone ever get sued for typing dumpster instead of Dumpster? I sort of doubt it, although not making a fuss over the mistake tends to hurt their trademark.Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03171630819400384478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-76131319428598080612012-08-21T08:18:44.498-06:002012-08-21T08:18:44.498-06:00Yes, even 15 years ago my kids took "keyboard...Yes, even 15 years ago my kids took "keyboarding" in elementary school, not typing.Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-92019693105879664932012-08-21T08:17:04.999-06:002012-08-21T08:17:04.999-06:00Kathryn - didn't know about Laundromat (but I ...Kathryn - didn't know about Laundromat (but I don't think I've been near one in years, and now you're going to make me go check in Nowhere to Hide where Kelli stops to do laundry while they're on the road. And that one went through two publishers, each with its own editorial process, so you've got me curious. <br /><br />I will always be typing when I sit at my keyboard--but yes, the vocabulary will change, and someday someone will take a job and be told to type something and won't know what her boss is talking about!Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-70110549757230795612012-08-21T08:14:34.234-06:002012-08-21T08:14:34.234-06:00Dani - I generally check with my kids for things l...Dani - I generally check with my kids for things like music or expressions. Not having any close contacts between the ages of 4 and 35 means I have to make a conscious effort to do my homework.Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-47991941590889102652012-08-21T08:13:53.447-06:002012-08-21T08:13:53.447-06:00Oh, and vocabulary specific to an industry - that ...Oh, and vocabulary specific to an industry - that really changes fast! I'm always amused when one company I work for talks about "working in silos" even as I gaze out my window and see real farm silos. Two completely different meanings! :DDanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-23523197237562821702012-08-21T08:13:40.524-06:002012-08-21T08:13:40.524-06:00Maryann - I learned a lot when my first publisher ...Maryann - I learned a lot when my first publisher insisted we verify every single brand name (and even the ones we made up, because sometimes we made up trademarked names without knowing it). Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-90840764898916098072012-08-21T08:13:16.737-06:002012-08-21T08:13:16.737-06:00Like Dumpster, Laundromat is also a proper noun. A...Like Dumpster, Laundromat is also a proper noun. Always seems weird to capitalize these words though!<br /><br />This post made me realize why I thought it so odd that a stranger who just connected with me on LinkedIn was offering a "Typing Service." It truly is an aging notion! Thanks to the delete key anyone can type these days.Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-57875693599432216222012-08-21T08:09:39.766-06:002012-08-21T08:09:39.766-06:00One of my pet peeves is old farts who write books ...One of my pet peeves is old farts who write books for young people and are clueless about modern slang. Who says "none of your beeswax" today? Certainly not a cool tween. On the flip side, I've heard very young people use the expression "turn the table" and most adults don't even know what that really means! It's all darn-near interesting. :)Danihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-9292788752222516382012-08-21T07:44:30.342-06:002012-08-21T07:44:30.342-06:00Thanks for this helpful post, Terry. I did not kno...Thanks for this helpful post, Terry. I did not know that Kindle was becoming almost a generic name for any reading device. It is important that we stay mindful of what are trademarked items. I cringe everytime I read a book and the author has a character reach for a kleenex. That should be Kleenex, or tissue. <br /><br />And it is interesting you mentioned Dumpster. I once worked with a new editor who tried to tell me that it did not have to be capitalized in my book.Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.com