Origin of the term "Bojack"

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wyaple

wyaple

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When I joined this forum a few years ago, I spied the term "Bojack" being used most often, usually with a derogatory meaning as to quality and non-OEM status. After reading Carroll Gantz's vacuum cleaner book, I found on page 128 a reference to Bojack. He states that Hoover originated the term to refer to any competitor.

I can only imagine the usage...

Hoover engineer: "Today, we will do a tear down of this new Eureka cleaner..er, I mean BOJACK machine and see what makes it tick."

On this website, it appears that Bojack usually refers to any part that is non-OEM, but not to an entire machine. Some language correction may be in order here for those highly Hoover oriented individuals.

Original Designation.....Hoover Designation
Kirby Avalir...................Bojack Avalir
Rainbow E-Series..........Bojack E-Series
Oreck XL.......................Bojack XL
Simplicity Freedom.......Bojack Freedom
Electrolux Super J........Bojack Super J

Does anybody know how Hoover actually picked the word "Bojack"? Sounds like a contraction of some kind...

Bill
 
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I'm not disputing the origin of the word, but frankly I'd take much of what <a name="start_32905.360007"></a>Carroll Gantz says about vacuum cleaners with a grain of salt.
<a name="start_32905.360007"></a>
 
I'm with you I'd never heard the term until I found Vacuumland. Here, it does seem to refer to inferior non-OEM parts. To me, the idea of inferiority is important. I don't necessarily think of a third party part that's made to OEM specifications--what they call LKQ or like kind and quality in the auto repair business--is necessarily 'bojak'. Likewise, I don't consider a machine restored with OEM parts from a different model from the same manufacturer as 'bojak'. I prefer to refer to them as 'franken-', as in a 'frankenkirby'.
 
From what I understand, bojack first referred to an individual, a competitive vacuum salesman. Here's one hypothetical usage: John L. is a Hoover salesman, back when Hoovers were sold door to door by armies of factory trained salesmen.
Tom G. is an Electrolux salesman at the same time in history. John might call Tom a 'bojack' salesman, or he might say Tom sells Bojack machines. Trade-in vacs are referred to, by John L. as Bojack cleaners. This was at a time when door to door salesmen conned themselves into thinking that the brand they were selling was so much superior to anything else, that they could 'look down' their eyes at any other cleaner as being inferior or 'bojack'.

Later on - non-original parts (which were, for many years, inferior to original in quality) became "bojack parts". For example, single ply Electrolux bags sold in vac shops or grocery stores were referred to as "bojack bags". An F&G Eureka style bag set up on a Kirby (in order to use disposable bags) would be a 'bojack' style, since it made he machine work less well (cut down on airflow).
 
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Regardless of the origin of the word, "bojack" now refers to non-OEM vacuum cleaner parts*, such as the ones sold by non-factory-authorized vac shops. "Fit-All" - "To Fit" - etc. cloth bags, for example. And, yes, the crappy one-ply Electrolux paper bags sold in grocery stores (I haven't seen any of these in years).


 


There's generally a tone of cheapness and inferiority around bojack parts even though sometimes bojack parts are better-made and of higher quality [or the same exact product**] than OEM!


 


P.S. I looked the word up on Dictionary.com and it's not there. So it hasn't officially been accepted into the lexicon of the English language.


 


 


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*As far as I know, the term is not used in any other category of manufactured goods.


 


** Multi-Filter Electrolux bags are made by the same company that makes them for Electrolux and are identical, other than not being labeled as "Genuine Electrolux." (Electrolux hasn't manufactured its own bags for many years.) While the "Brand-X" bags are literally the exact same product as the "Genuine Electrolux" bags, they are much less expensive. The difference is only important to those who are (foolishly) "brand conscious" and NEED to have that brand name.
 
bojack

according to slang definition means you are or will go bojack when you kick butt.
It can be in terms of selling, scoring in a game, or when you need to go bojack on your kid because they really messed up, or on some one else. Maybe not in the physical aspect now mind you.
 
I have been told

. . . and only going by what I have been told.  Bojack is a very uncomplimentary term.  Tantamount to calling someone or something a fake, an impostor, and artful dodger.  On wards to implying that someone was backstreet, a self-pleasurer, lacking morals or compass, a thief, a rapist.


 


The Paper bag conversion for older Kirbys is one example I can think where I heard the term used very strongly.  "Somebody Bojacked it."  Implied that they committed a crime as heinous as bending someone over and taking advantage of them.


 


Words evolve to mean other things, or lose the connotation they once had.  Now we would call replacement parts generic/bojack, and in a lot of cases as mentioned they are as good, or sometimes better than original.   


 


 


 
 
To me Bojack just sounds like a Redneck Brand of a vacuum. "Introducing the new Bojack.
For the backwoods I will just do the bare mininum of housework so I can get back out hunting and fishing person. Guaranteed to get your house somewhat clean."

That is the nice version of my pitch. LOL
 
Yeah, I know it was Kojack and I certainly agree. TV was a whole lot better back then. That's a major reason why I subscribe to Netflix and Hulu instead of cable. Interestingly, Netflix also has an original animated show called "Bojack Horseman". I haven't watched it.
 

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