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October 05, 2005
Vishy's Indian English Dictionary: thermocol
thermocol./thərmo·kAWl/. A polystyrene insulating material manufactured in the U.S. as Styrofoam®. In common American language, this trademark is referred to simply as a common noun, styrofoam. The Indian form, thermocol, is in currency in a few other countries as well, notably Japan and Australia, as revealed by a Google search. This form makes the insulating function of the material more explicit. There seems to be a significant presence of a variant spelling of this word, thermocole.
Thermocol is a very versatile material. In India, it is used in many ways, including packaging and making towering cutouts of political figures, gods and goddesses. The much-celebrated Ganapati and Navaratri festivals in Mumbai feature large thematic public displays involving copious amounts of thermocol. What is strictly a utilitarian material in the U.S., used solely for packaging and manufacturing drab excuses for tableware, is actually used by Indians to great artistic effect.
Posted by Vishy at October 5, 2005 11:02 PM