[Ads-l] Stealth

[Nancy Friedman]

This discussion reminded me of the time in the mid-1990s that I was hired
to name a new condom. My research included collecting many rival condom
brands, one of which was called Stealth. Its elaborately die-cut cardboard
package resembled a B-2 "Stealth" bomber; its slogan was "They'll Never See
You Coming."

Northrop (later Northrop Grumman), the manufacturer of the bomber, had
petitioned the USPTO to deny the Stealth condom a U.S. trademark. In his
defense, the condom manufacturer said it was unlikely that anyone would
confuse his product with an $800 million plane.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-24-fi-3017-story.html

The condom company did get its trademark filing approved, but the
registration was cancelled in 1998.


Nancy Friedman
Chief Wordworker
web: wordworking.com <http://www.wordworking.com>
substack https://fritinancy.substack.com/
Medium <https://medium.com/@wordworking>

tel 510 652-4159
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On Fri, Jan 30, 2026 at 6:22 PM Bill Mullins <amcombill at hotmail.com> wrote:

> James Landau:
>
> "In this sentence does "stealth" refer to reconnaissance planes designed
> to avoid detection, or to a secret/unadvertised/hidden program to develop
> such planes?"
>
> The former.  Later in the article reference is made to "'stealth'
> aircraft".
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org