AP Style: Dumpster - nope, not a trademark

You no longer have to argue in the newsroom about whether "dumpster" is a trademark that should be capitalized or replaced with "trash bin" (thus losing the specific image associated with the name).

The AP's printed version of its 2013 stylebook is out (and always available online), and that reminds me of an addition from earlier this year that I forgot to mention: dumpster is now officially sanctioned as the genericized term for any such large metal trash bin.

Just the same, give a silent nod to the Dempster brothers whenever you use it (grin).