Did You Dima That?
Published August 6th, 2008 in Random ThoughtInstead of the using the term “Photoshop” when referring to an image that has been digitally manipulated, we should use “dima” (like the di in dinner and ma like mud… or like “Those are some dima lightbulbsa”). I think it’s blasphemy to dima an image in GIMP and say it was Photoshopped.
Sorry Ian, but “dima” just doesn’t have the right ring. How about going for the second syllables and calling it “gitnip” — now that sounds like something happened.
The image has been gitnipped! For better or for worse? Only the shadow knows.
Robert
It’s not going to catch on though, because we have a well established tradition of turning brand names into generic nouns and verbs. For example:
Can you xerox that?
Can you google this for me?
Can I have some Kleenex?
Do you have any Band-Aid’s?
Can I have some Coke?
Want to play Frisbee?
Let’s jump into a Jacuzzi!
You should carry Mace in your purse.
Let’s play Ping Pong!
I need a Q-tip!
They went Rollerblading.
Do you have any Scotch Tape?
I saw an old dude wearing Spedos on the beach!
Not to mention things like Vaseline, Aspirin, Zamboni, Yo-Yo, Styrofoam, Rolodex, Post-it’s, Popsiccles, Jell-O, and Bubble Wrap.
All of the above were (or still are) trademarked brand names which became parts of common speech. Photoshop is the same way. In fact, I’d suspect that if Adobe changed the name of their tool today say “Digital Photo Manipulation Suite” we would still use terms like ’shopped or photoshopped in our speach.
I also believe that future generations will use to google as generic term for “search the web” even if google itself goes out of business.
@Robert: “Gitnip” reminds me of either catnip or something negative. I don’t know why, but “you gitnipped her beautifully” sounds like you ruined her picture in some way as payback rather than touching it up nicely.
@Luke: Yeah, you’re right. In some cases, it’s because the generic name or term just doesn’t sound good (”Hey, wanna go play flying disc?”). In others, it’s because we don’t even know a generic name for it. It’s also a bit of a social phenomenon. I’ve never said “Xerox” as anything other than the company but I’ve certainly said “Scotch Tape” as the generic term for clear tape. Some people are the opposite. And then there are the one’s that everyone seems to use like Velcro.
But,I think you’re really saying that I need to go back in time, convince Adobe to call it Dima so that term catches on, then merge the two realities somehow… Sounds like too much work. Wanna go play Frisbee instead?
Ian,
I’m willing to go to the third syllables:
talpu
or even the fourth syllables:
lylate.
Come to think of it, I think I like “lylate.”
Robert,
so far not digitally manipulated nor lylated !
Ian,
I thought I made up gitnip but I didn’t. I googled it and it is used to mean
“good in theory, not in practice”
I guess a gitnipper would be a bad photoshopper.
Robert
Does that make your coming up with gitnip as a word for digital manipulation a gitnip itself?
@Luke: I just came across another one today: Popsicle. Yeah, it’s a trademark (registered by Frank Epperson in 1923!) and was an accidental discovery of about 100 years ago. I guess “ice pop” or “ice lolly” is the generic term, but those are definitely not common in the U.S.
Ian,
I seem to faintly remember that we sometimes called these “Popsicle”s icecyles when I was very young.
Robert