Jacuzzi
Jacuzzi
Italian (brand name)
“An Italian-American family's surname became the word for every hot tub.”
Jacuzzi was an Italian-American family of engineers and inventors. In 1956, Candido Jacuzzi invented a submersible hydrotherapy pump to help his son, who had rheumatoid arthritis.
The portable pump could turn any bathtub into a therapeutic spa. By the 1960s, Jacuzzi was marketing built-in whirlpool baths, and the brand became synonymous with the category.
Like Kleenex or Band-Aid, 'jacuzzi' became generic. People say 'jacuzzi' for any hot tub or whirlpool bath, regardless of manufacturer.
The Jacuzzi family (originally Iacuzzi from Italy) accidentally gave their name to an entire product category. Not many immigrant surnames become common nouns.
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Today
Jacuzzi has become so generic that most users don't know it's a family name. The brand fights to protect its trademark, but language has moved on.
An Italian family's invention for a sick child became luxury vocabulary. Etymology sometimes has happy endings.
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