The Allusionist: 21. Eponyms I: The Ballad of Bic and Biro
October 15, 2015 6:36 AM - Subscribe
Naming something after yourself: a grand display of egomania, or the humble willingness to be overshadowed by your own product? Stationery expert James Ward tells the tale of the people who begat the eponymous ballpoint pens Bic and Biro, because ...
... according to 99% Invisible's Roman Mars, "When it comes to word origins, an eponym is the shortest bet you’re going to get a good story out of it." (For the next month, there will be new Allusionists every week, each featuring another Radiotopian.)
There are links to additional reading about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/ballpoint.
Mailchimp randomly selected word: "jacquerie"
... according to 99% Invisible's Roman Mars, "When it comes to word origins, an eponym is the shortest bet you’re going to get a good story out of it." (For the next month, there will be new Allusionists every week, each featuring another Radiotopian.)
There are links to additional reading about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/ballpoint.
Mailchimp randomly selected word: "jacquerie"
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