was thinking more jerry mccain, “i’m a ding dong daddy,” but it ain’t on utoob.

diddy wah diddy.

“Kleenex” is a brand name, but they are actually “tissues”. Both terms may be correct, depending upon the context.

Mr. Maxim filed his patent with the marketing term “silencer”, though they suppress the decibel level of the muzzle report. If a design of a suppressor follows Mr. Maxim’s general design as filed with the USPTO, then it’s considered correct in polite society to refer to it as a silencer. But the general term for any item that attenuates the muzzle report of a gun is “suppressor”.

FIFY

…and to not drive the neighbors crazy with the racket.

Hawaii law, which bans silencers, calls them both ‘silencers’ and ‘mufflers’ just like on cars.

If we want to improve the image in non-users’ minds for political purposes (which I think is a reasonable purpose since we are in a political struggle) we should try calling them mufflers.

I think he was speaking ironically.

“Silencer” is a common term relative to the “reduction” of gunshot noise, it doesn’t imply complete silence. The device reduces the sound, but the gunshot sound is still present and easily heard.

Thus, Hiram Percy Maxim Jr using the word silencer was not inaccurate; however, the word suppressor may have been more descriptive for those unfamiliar with the intent Mr Maxim had which was the reduction of sound.