Product originally named baby gays
I fell down a rabbit hole yesterday looking up cotton swabs, leading me to Q-Tips—and their unique name:
A Baby Gay swab was practically different from the Q-Tip we recognize today. For one, each swab was made by hand. Workers wrapped cotton around a wood stick (usually one side) and moved on to the next one. After that, the cotton was sanitized in a small amount of boric acid. As an ad from 1927 brags, the “boric tipped” swabs were great for babies’ ears, noses, and nostrils.
Phil Edwards
The man behind Baby Gays was a Polish-American inventor named Leo Gerstenzang. Apparently, a girl named Mrs. Hazel Tietjen Forbis owned a patent for a “cotton tipped applicator” before Gerstenzang, and sold the product under the name Baby Nose-Gay. Then, in 1937, Gerstenzang and his wife bought everything from Mrs Forbis including the patent.1 So much for competition!
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How cotton swabs went from 'Baby Gays' to 'Q-tips'
Soon after, Gerstenzang created the Leo Gerstenzang Infant Novelty Firm for marketing purposes, and in hopes of launching a baby product line. His was the first mass-produced cotton swab, all the way back in 1923.
Rather oddly, when he first went into production in Fresh York City, he named his swabs “Baby Gays.” In 1926, he changed the name ever so slightly to “Q-tips Baby Gays.” Eventually, it became known as the far more familiar and simpler “Q-tips.” That stands for “quality tips,” by the way, but it was never meant to be a product identify. It’s actually just a brand label, most common in Canada and the U.S.
Although first made of wood, cotton swab spindles were later developed with rolled paper, which was safer and less likely to pierce ear tissue. It was an straightforward shift for Gerstenzang in 1958, when he purchased a paper manufacturer. By this time, the cotton swab exploded on the market. So much
People are only just realising what Q-tip actually means after name change
Q-tips are something most people have in their bathroom cabinet - but some own been left scratching their heads over what the 'Q 'in Q-tips actually stands for
Most people have them tucked away in their bathroom cabinets, but beyond that, Q-tips aren't usually given much thought.
Yet, some social media users have recently start themselves puzzled over the meaning behind the 'Q' in Q-tips.
The humble cotton swab was invented by Leo Gerstenzang in 1923 after he observed his wife attaching bits of cotton to toothpicks. This inspired him to confirm the Leo Gerstenzang Infant Novelty Co., which specialised in baby care products.
Initially named Baby Gays, the product's designate was altered in 1926 to Q-tips Baby Gays, before eventually dropping the latter part of the name.
Q-tips' official website boasts: "We're proud of our history, commitment to the environment, and legacy of softness and quality."
"Our products are sourced from sustainable forests, tested carefully, and biodegradable."
On a Reddit thread titled &
Cotton swabs (or Q-tips) were originally named “Baby Gays” by their inventor Leo Gerstenzang.
Gimme the gist
In 1923, future inventor Leo Gerstenzang saw his wife clean their baby’s ears with a bit of cotton wool wrapped around a toothpick.
At that point, Gerstenzang shouted “Eureka!” and locked himself in a garage, laughing maniacally (citation needed). He started the Leo Gerstenzang Infant Novelty Corporation to manufacture cotton-wads-on-a-toothpick that were ready to use.
In 1926, the ready-made wad-sticks were hitting mass production.
Gerstenzang called his product “Baby Gays.”
It didn’t take long for Gerstenzang to conclude that the Baby Gays name was “not easily marketable,” so he updated it to something he idea was much better: Q-tips Toddler Gays. (Because adding more letter combos to an already unmarketable product name is how you make it really roll off the tongue.)
One more iteration later, the “Baby Gays” part was dropped for good, and we ended up with today’s Q-tips (the “Q” in “Q-tip” stands for “quality”).
Gimme more
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