OK, so why is Ping-Pong is like Kleenex, or Band-Aids, or Scotch Tape, or Jell-O, or Chapstick, or Teflon, or Vaseline, or Q-Tips, etc?

You've got Kleenex and facial tissues, Band-Aids and plastic bandages, Scotch tape and cellophane tape, Jell-O and gelatin dessert, Chapstick and lip balm, Teflon and nonstick coating, Vaseline and petroleum jelly, Q-Tips and cotton swabs--and Ping-Pong and table tennis. "Ping-Pong" is actually a trademarked brand name that (at least in the U.S.) is more (or equally) popular as the generic version of its equivalent name: "table tennis."

The short story (and also see the interesting links below) is that what we know as "ping-pong" or "table tennis" was originally a European parlor game known by a number of names: Whiff Whaff, Flim Flam, Gossima--and more generically as "indoor tennis" or "indoor table tennis" or just "table tennis." In 1901 Parker Brothers bought the trademark rights to the name "ping pong" from English sports manufacturer, John Jacques. By the turn of the century Parker Brothers was THE master of both creating new games as well as importing others to America and (re)branding them to sell to American consumers.

Why "ping-pong?" That characteristic sound of the ball (once hollow celluloids eventually came into vogue), makes when it hits a wooden paddle and table, became a great choice of names that caught on like wildfire. Parker Brothers used its clout and expertise to help make the name "ping-pong" mainstream in the U.S.--and a not only a wildly popular game for the masses but also a nascent, competitive sport. Because of the Parker Brothers "ping-pong" trademark (that it still owns) and related political issues surrounding initial "table tennis" and "ping pong" associations that were springing up, the sports' early organizers--after much feuding--eventually agreed to adopt the more generic name "table tennis."

From the 1930's on, the game/sport began exploding worldwide--particularly in Asia--and eventually became an Olympic sport in 1988. Today, it is one of the top two (with soccer) most widely played games/sports on the planet. Whether you play "ping- pong" for fun in your basement or rec room or the "Y" and/or you play competitive "table tennis" in official, sanctioned tournaments, you're playing the same game or sport as the rest of us. Call it whatever you like: "ping-pong" or "table tennis." We just hope you play a lot in 2005, have great fun doing so, and encourage your friends and family to enjoy the world's most popular game, too.