I am an ex-smoker, who was finally able to kick the habit after 20 years, thanks entirely to the newfangled electronic smoking alternative that has burst onto the scene in recent years.
The so-called "e-cigarette" produces flavored vapor instead of smoke, which obviously (probably? hopefully?) is a far healthier thing to consume. The kind I use doesn't even contain nicotine! If I have any problem with this miracle device (aside from not quite knowing if it is killing me), it is the lack of an adequate label.
The term "electronic cigarette" or "e-cigarette" just seems clumsy, and it's also misleading and rather detrimental to the product's image, assuming it is indeed a safer alternative to smoking. Even worse is "personal vaporizer", which is just absurd, and even more lethal sounding than "e-cigarette", in a silly sci-fi sort of way.
It is my personal opinion that this new device should simply be called a "steampipe". It's simple, apt, rather obvious, and it works on many levels, without being too clinically literal.
But how do I go about seeding the lexical landscape with this new term? Pleas to manufacturers? Posts on vaping forums? A viral video campaign?
I wonder if the subconscious mind figures in a major way in these kinds of pleasures, as opposed to the rational, technical mind. If so, the name you suggest I am afraid is too biased to the latter.
dayofthedave said
The term "electronic cigarette" or "e-cigarette" just seems clumsy, and it's also misleading and rather detrimental to the product's image, assuming it is indeed a safer alternative to smoking. Even worse is "personal vaporizer", which is just absurd, and even more lethal sounding than "e-cigarette", in a silly sci-fi sort of way.It is my personal opinion that this new device should simply be called a "steampipe". It's simple, apt, rather obvious, and it works on many levels, without being too clinically literal.
Would it be excessively snarky of me to suggest that a better name would be oral gratifier?
Ron Draney said: Would it be excessively snarky of me to suggest that a better name would be oral gratifier?
You mean like the one in your mouth in your avatar?  🙂
But seriously folks, I'd use the term "personal nicotine dosage unit" (PNDU). I think there's some support in the medical community for that term, whether it's a patch or a pill or a gum or an e-cigarette.
Thanks, all.
I think "steampipe" does tap pretty well into the subconscious, pleasure-seeking side of vaping, as it equates the device with a traditional and rather sophisticated tobacco product. The pipe is the grandaddy of smoking instruments, far outclassing the lowly cigarette. Also, the "steam" portion of the term is more fanciful than rational, as the steampipe technically produces vapor. I think actual steam would scorch the lungs.
On gratification, I believe the pleasure of smoking and vaping is more in the chest, nose and eyes than in the mouth, i.e. the feeling and aroma of the cloud going in, and the puff and swirl of it coming back out. Otherwise, we'd all just be eating sweets and sucking on soda straws instead.
I should also point out that I'm looking to coin a term for casual use, not clinical use. PNDU is far too technical for normal conversation. It also wrongfully pigeonholes the device as a nicotine delivery system. While it's true that the steampipe is currently marketed pretty much exclusively to smokers and that most vapers (i.e. ex-smokers) do opt for juices with nicotine, there are also plenty of juice options that are not derived from tobacco. The kind I use tastes like peppermint and contains no nicotine whatsoever. As time goes on, more and more nonsmokers are bound to give vaping a try, and I suspect most of these people will opt for zero-nicotine non-tobacco juice.