Invented Food Names

Veggie Burger
A clear case of compounding. It doesn't take long to recover the inference that this is a "burger-shaped patty" which uses vegetable-based ingredients instead of red meat.

Coke
Interestingly, "coke" is a clipped form of the actual/original product name: Coca-Cola. This, itself, is a compound describing the origin of certain ingredients. Specifically, coca leaves and cola nuts.

Chips Ahoy
This is an example of metonymy. The chocolate chips found within the cookie have come to represent the actual cookie itself. The addition of "ahoy" lends an air of having found something after much searching.

Jiffy Pop
An example of a clipped form for "popcorn," preceded with an adjective that lets you know it will be ready quickly (in a jiffy).

Mountain Dew
A beverage with the majestic flavor of the natural drippings from the foliage found on the peak of a mountain. Its title, a simple combination of two separate words, is obviously supposed to conjure up images of freshness and nature. An image which obviously belies its ingredients.

Baby Ruth
This is an instance of using the name of a person as the title of a product. Though debate exists over whether this was named after President Grover Cleveland's daughter or baseball great Babe Ruth, it's clear that the name has little to do with the components of the candy or its taste.

Limeade
Since this beverage is similar to "lemonade," people have simply taken the suffix "-ade" and added it to the differing base ingredient (lime rather than lemon). Incidentally, lemonade can be considered a borrowed-term from the French limonade.

Poland Spring
Rather self-explanatory. Although there is some debate about whether or not this water acutally comes from Poland, Maine, let alone a "spring," the effect is clear. We associate freshness with nature. The untouched landscapes of Maine must have water that is free from impurities. The name of the product simply keys into this belief.

Now and Later
A phrase from the advertising became the title. The concept was that these individually wrapped candies could be enjoyed both "now," and "later." Eat some now, save some later. Therefore, an aspect of how you eat the product eventually became its name.

Life Savers
This can almost be considered a pun. The candy is shaped like a "life-saving" flotation device utilized by a lifeguard. However, it can also itself be considered life-saving in an appropriate moment as confectionery and for fresh breath.