• Adrenalin: the synthetic form of the hormone adrenaline

• Aertex (not Airtex): cellular cotton fabric

• AstroTurf: artificial grass

• Autocue: teleprompter

• Babygro: babygrow, all-in-one

• Biro: ballpoint pen

• Blu-Tack

• Botox: cosmetic treatment

• Catseye: cat’s eye or reflecting stud

• Cellophane: transparent wrapping

• Coca-Cola, Coke: fizzy drink, cola, soda

• Corn Flakes: the original branded product made by Kellogg’s (note apostrophe). The generic term is cornflakes.

• Day-Glo: fluorescent

• Durex: condom

• Elastoplast: sticking plaster

• Filofax: personal organiser

• Formica: plastic laminate

• Frisbee: flying disc

• Google: search engine, but can be used as a verb ‘to google’.

• Gore-Tex: waterproof/breathable fabric

• Hoover: vacuum cleaner; but you can use it as a verb without a cap, as in ‘the dog hoovered up its dinner’. Some authorities say the word is now the generic word for vacuum cleaner and has lost its right to a cap.

• Identikit: but photofit is not a trademark.

• Ironman: only triathlons organised by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) may be called Ironman events. Others over the same distances may be referred to as a full- or half-distance triathlon, or an Iron-distance triathlon.

• Jacuzzi: whirlpool bath

• Jeep: four-wheel drive vehicle; note that jeep is acceptable for the small vehicles used in the Second World War, the name deriving from the initials GP for general purpose vehicle.

• Jiffy bag: padded envelope

• Kleenex: paper handkerchief, tissue

• Li-lo: air mattress, air bed

• Lurex: sparkly fabric

• Lycra: stretch fabric

• Martini: a brand of vermouth as well as other alcoholic drinks - as a trademark it takes a cap; a martini (l/c) is the cocktail containing vermouth.

• Monopoly: board game

• Muzak: imagine anyone wanting to claim ownership of that.

• Ouija board: there isn’t an alternative.

• Outward Bound: survival course.

• Pepsi-Cola: fizzy drink, cola, soda

• Perspex: acrylic sheet

• Photoshop: digital image editing or airbrushing; it is ok as a l/c verb eg ‘He photoshopped the picture to erase Hitler’s moustache’.

• Photostat: photocopy

• Plasticine: modelling material

• Play-Doh: play dough

• Portakabin: portable building; Portaloo: portable toilet.

• Post-it (l/c ‘it’): sticky note

• Pot Noodle: instant noodle snack

• Pritt Stick: glue stick

• Puffa jacket: padded jacket

• Q-tips: cotton buds

• Quorn: vegetarian meat substitute

• Rawlplug: wall plug

• Ray-Ban/s: sunglasses

• Rizla: cigarette paper

• Rollerblade: in-line skates

• Scrabble: board game

• Sellotape: sticky tape

• Semtex: plastic explosive

• Spam (the meat product): chopped pork and ham, canned processed meat

• Stanley knife: utility knife

• Stetson: cowboy hat, western hat

• Tannoy: loudspeaker or public address system; ok to use as a l/c verb eg ‘he tannoyed a warning’.

• Tarmac is a trade name but can be limited to the name of the civil engineering firm. The l/c tarmac is acceptable for road surface. Note: Although tarmac is often used as a shorthand for the surface at airports (eg ‘The Pope kissed the tarmac’), apparently very few airports have tarmac runways any more. They are now concrete.

• Taser: This one is still bedding in, but I think it can be treated like Hoover, used with a cap as a noun but lower case as a verb. For example: ‘They should not have tasered him’.

• Technicolor

• Thermos: vacuum flask

• Tipp-Ex: correction fluid

• Vaseline: petroleum jelly

• Velcro: fastening

• Viagra: still working on this one

• Walkman: personal stereo

• Winnebago: large motor home, recreational vehicle

• Xerox: photocopy

• Yale lock: pin tumbler lock

• Yellow Pages: trade or phone directory

• Zimmer frame: walking frame

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