[dspillett]

> I noticed they didn't mention any brands by name though, why is that?

As a public service broadcaster in the UK, the BBC must be very careful about naming specific brands and products due to rules laid out in their legal remit (and fear of legal action if from a party that feels unfairly disadvantaged by a competitor getting a good mention or them getting a bad one).

This is way Blue Peter always use "sticky backed plastic" instead of "sellotape" or "scotch tape", and people on BBC shows "vacuum" where the common parlance is "to hoover" (hoover being a brand name that got verbed like Google -> to google).

[afandian]

(This is almost too petty a point to reply, but "sticky backed plastic" is a sheet of adhesive transparent film, like you'd use to cover books. I think they probably would have said "sticky tape")

[laumars]

I don't know why you are being downvoted because you are correct. I'd further your post and also point out the correct term to vacuum is still "vacuum". The BBC didn't invent that term like they did "sticky backed plastic".

The radio is often quite amusing when there are guests on there who accidentally slip a brand name. Presenters often then reply with the same rehearsed quote:

    "Other brands of [cola] also exist."

[rjsw]

The main UK brand of "sticky backed plastic" was Fablon.

[marbletiles]

They literally did say "sticky-backed plastic" for sellotape, which left me bemused as a nipper

[dboreham]

Especially bemused because that's not what they meant. SBP is Fablon or plastic film that comes in a wide (2+ ft) roll and is primarily used to cover books.

[Bromskloss]

> like Google -> to google

Hang on! Surely, "to google" refers to performing a search specifically with Google, right?

[grzm]

Just like a kleenex must be a tissue produced by Kimberly-Clark or one can only xerox on equipment manufactured by a particular company? That ship is in the process of leaving the port :)

[pbhjpbhj]

Not a chance. To google means "to search online [using a search engine]".

Have you never witnessed someone googling something using Bing?

[Bromskloss]

I have never witnessed anyone using Bing at all! My father used DuckDuckGo once, although he wasn't aware of it.

In any case, if I say "to google", I mean "search using Google". I try not to say it, though, because I think it sounds silly to use product names like that.