Ill effects

I've made the mistake a few times of stopping half-way while I'm writing the homework assignment on the board. I get a few characters written down then I turn to the class to explain something about the problems they'll be doing. The class chuckles and I turn around to see 'ass' written above me. It's not a ridiculous label.

But it's a mistake. One that I committed because I wasn't planning and suggesting and evaluating and picking a word to put up there. Not like a registered trademark.

A word of advice to the pharmaceutical companies out there looking for a drug name. Listen to the word. And don't get distracted by an orthographic/visual gimmick.

I guess the spelling convention of <pH>=[f] looked too good for Eisai Company, Ltd. of Tokyo to pass up in a heartburn medication.

the minutes:

Perfect! How can we put it in a drug name?

We need to get the word 'acid' in there too.

Yeah but we're getting rid of acid.

Well 'ex' always works for that.

Of course. And 'x' is awesome anyways.

So acidex?

No! Remember we need the pH scale in there.

Acidphex?

Looks too hard to say. And remember it has to be <pH> not just <ph>.

Oh right. Acid-pHex?

No. I hate hyphens. Didn't you hear the OED outlawed them?

Well let's just drop the <d>. AcipHex. That looks cool.

Sure does. Now let's ignore how it sounds.

How about this for a slogan: If you've got gastrointestinal problems just wait for the AcipHex!

Hm. I like the sound of AcipHex.