Dick’s is celebrating their 56th Anniversary this week. To celebrate, they’re offering 2 for the price of 1 cheeseburgers today (Tuesday) from 2 – 6 pm and this Friday is 10¢ Coke Day, where all soft drinks are just a dime.
Why call it 10¢ Coke Day when it’s any soft drink? Well, there isn’t quite the same ring to 10¢ Any Soft Drink Day, now is there? Anyway, did you know that in the South, they refer to all soft drinks as “Coke”? As in:
“Can I have a coke?”
“Sure, what kind?”
“Pepsi”
Ha ha! In college, at the University of Texas, we briefly studied Coca-Cola’s attempts to stop people from using the word “coke” so much that it became “common usage” — to protect their trademark from being diluted. Same with Kleenex, etc. Here’s a list of formerly trademarked terms that are now generic/generalized. Google is already on the list.
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/List_of_generic_and_genericized_trademarks
Yup, I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and it always annoys me when I order a Coke and the waitress says, “All we have is Pepsi, is that alright?” Of course it is! Just bring me a brown soda that dissolves bones and is produced in a chemical factory, okay? Thanks!