Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a puzzle about words and phrases that people have tried to trademark, including a two-word phrase indicating that someone’s employment has been terminated, which a certain presidential candidate tried unsuccessfully to claim as his own. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Attempted Trademarks Word Quiz”
You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it.
I’m Grant Barrett.
And I’m Martha Barnette.
And joining us now on the line from New York City is our quiz guide, John Chaneski.
Hi, John.
Hi, Martha.
Hi, Grant.
Hey, buddy.
What’s up?
Well, I’d like, if I may, sing a little song for you.
Oh, yeah, sure.
Great.
It goes like this.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday, dear playmate.
Happy birthday to you.
If it’s your birthday today, happy birthday.
I can sing you that song, and we don’t have to pay for it because it is no longer copyrighted.
Oh, playmate.
I was—
Well, that’s the urge.
You have no idea.
No, I wasn’t going to the you have no idea.
However, you must always keep your guard up because you never know what is copyrighted and what is not.
Right.
And some copywriters—copywriters?
Copywriting people can be very litigious.
For example, a while ago I had the idea to begin all of our little quiz sessions with a version of a phrase I learned was copywritten by boxing and wrestling ring announcer Michael Buffer.
Do you know that phrase?
Let’s get ready to rumble.
That one.
Right.
I was too scared to say, let’s get ready to puzzle.
Nope.
So I’m just not going to do it.
You won’t hear me using either of those phrases.
I err on the side of caution.
Yes.
Now, here are some more copyright infringements.
Okay.
All right.
It’s time to get started.
Let’s do this.
Every time I burn my tongue on a slice of pizza or look at the sun, I have to keep myself from uttering a two-word phrase that will just make a hotel heiress even more rich.
That’s hot.
That’s hot.
Yeah.
Oh, is that it?
We can’t say that.
That’s it.
With all those extra T’s, though, right?
That’s hot.
And you can also do, it’s V, V, V, V, V, hot.
Lots of these, lots of Ts.
Was that Leona Hemsley? Taxes are for the little people?
No, that’s Paris Hilton.
Oh.
That’s hot.
She actually sued Hallmark for using it on a greeting card in 2007.
Okay. Correct. Right. Affirmative.
Yes, I can use all of those, but Storage Wars star Dave Hester has registered a certain word that indicates a positive response, though his usually features a surfeit of use in the middle.
Do you know what that word is?
Yep.
Yeah, that’s it.
You can’t say that.
You can’t say, yep.
I went to auctions all over the state of Missouri with my father as a boy.
There’s no way he can trademark that.
There’s no way.
Well, again, right, that’s true.
I got to say, before we move on, a lot of these are tried and failed and tried and processed and stuff like that.
But, yeah, he puts it on a T-shirt.
He’s got it on hats.
Y-U-U-U-U-U-U-P!
Yep.
Won’t be darned.
Okay, here’s the next one.
Wow, you know, you guys got more than two correct, but not yet four correct.
You could say you’ve accomplished a—
Three P’s.
Right.
Well, I’m afraid you can’t use that word.
Oh, no.
What?
Former L.A. Lakers coach and current Miami Heat president Pat Riley copyrighted that.
He tried to copyright it.
He tried to, yeah.
Yeah, there was information that he did not coin it nor invent it, nor was it particular to his brand.
By one of the players coined it, I think, so.
Let’s see what else we have here.
You know, I wanted, speaking of sports, I wanted to invite my friends over for the big game, but there are two words I can’t use in my Evite.
Otherwise, the NFL will get after me.
Really?
What?
Yeah.
Super Bowl?
No, it’s the…
Super Bowl, yes.
Really?
Super Bowl, you can’t use.
If you want a bar…
What?
If you want a bar and you’re going to have like a, you know, a two-for-one wings, you can’t call it a Super Bowl special.
Oh, oh, oh.
They’ll get on you for that.
Like a Super Bowl of wings?
You can’t…
Exactly, no.
Wow.
We cannot use that.
Okay.
Jeez.
That’s fine with me.
I don’t care.
Yeah, you’re good with that?
Okay.
That’s fine.
Go ahead.
Now, after a quiz like this one, you might want to give me my walking papers, but you don’t have to use that phrase.
A certain Republican presidential candidate tried and failed to trademark a two-word phrase about giving someone the pink slip.
You’re fired.
Donald Trump.
You’re fired.
Donald Trump.
That’s right.
Well, thanks very much for taking the quiz, guys.
Thanks, John.
I really appreciate it.
We’ll talk to you next week.
I’m going to head to court.
I’ll see you next week.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I’ll appear as a character witness if you want.
Terrific.
Thanks.
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