Jump directly to the content
TRADING PHRASES

From rocker’s hand gesture to popstar’s pet’s name, can you guess stars behind these trademark claims?

SHE may have lost her libel court battle against fellow Wag Coleen Rooney, but Rebekah Vardy made sure she had the last word, or two.

As we revealed yesterday, Becky, 41, has trademarked the phrase “Wagatha Christie” – coined in 2019 after Coleen accused her of selling stories – to stop her rival and others from cashing in.

Rebekah Vardy has successfully trademarked the phrase 'Wagatha Christie'
8
Rebekah Vardy has successfully trademarked the phrase 'Wagatha Christie'Credit: Getty

But the savvy wife of Leicester City footballer Jamie, 36, is not the only star to try to profit from a catchphrase, name or even a hand gesture.

Try JOSH SAUNDERS’ fun quiz to see if you can guess the celebrity behind the trademark.

1. Which famous Tom tried to trademark their name and the word “terrific” together?

A. NFL player Tom Brady

READ MORE ON Rebekah Vardy

B. Olympian Tom Daley

C. Footballer Jack Grealish

D. Actor Tom Cruise

2. Which rock star filed to trademark the “devil horns” hand gesture?

Did Ozzy Osbourne try to trademark the 'devil horns' hand gesture?
8
Did Ozzy Osbourne try to trademark the 'devil horns' hand gesture?Credit: Getty - Contributor

A. Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath)
B. Gene Simmons (KISS)
C. Angus Young (AC/DC)
D. Slash (Guns N’ Roses)

Or was it AC/DC star Angus Young?
8
Or was it AC/DC star Angus Young?Credit: Reuters
How about KISS bassist Gene Simmons?
8
How about KISS bassist Gene Simmons?Credit: Getty Images - Getty

3. Which fast-food chain got in trouble with rapper 50 Cent after offering food that cost 79, 88 and 99 cent?

A. McDonald’s
B. KFC
C. Taco Bell
D. Wendy’s

4. Which celeb chef trade-marked the viral catchphrase “idiot sandwich”?

Did Gordon Ramsay try to trademark the phrase 'idiot sandwich'?
8
Did Gordon Ramsay try to trademark the phrase 'idiot sandwich'?Credit: Getty

A. Marco Pierre White
B. Nigella Lawson
C. Gordon Ramsay, above
D. Jamie Oliver

5. Which famous star trademarked the phrase “That’s hot”?

Did hotel heiress Paris Hilton try to trademark 'that's hot'?
8
Did hotel heiress Paris Hilton try to trademark 'that's hot'?Credit: Rex

A. Hotel heiress Paris Hilton
B. Wrestler Scotty 2 Hotty
C. Katy Perry (song Hot N Cold)
D. Towie’s Gemma Collins

6. Which celeb tried to trade-mark the name Kylie in 2015?

A. Singer Kylie Minogue
B. Reality TV star Kylie Jenner
C. Presenter Jeremy Kyle
D. Kylie Platt actress Paula Lane

7. Who attempted to trademark “tiger blood”?

Did Tiger King’s Joe Exotic try to trademark 'Tiger Blood'?
8
Did Tiger King’s Joe Exotic try to trademark 'Tiger Blood'?Credit: Splash

A. Tiger King’s Joe Exotic
B. Boxer Mike Tyson
C. Actor Charlie Sheen
D. Rapper Tyga

8. Which animal-loving singer tried to trademark the names of their cats Meredith, Olivia and Benjamin?

A. Cat Stevens
B. Taylor Swift
C. Katy Perry
D. Miley Cyrus

9. Whose signature move was trademarked as the Hollywood Handshake?

A. Actor Brad Pitt
B. Broadcaster Piers Morgan
C. Presenter Oprah Winfrey
D. Celeb baker Paul Hollywood

READ MORE SUN STORIES

10. Which musician successfully reversed a ban on trademarking “100 per cent that b****” this February?

Did Madonna successfully reverse a ban on trademarking '100 per cent that b****' this February?
8
Did Madonna successfully reverse a ban on trademarking '100 per cent that b****' this February?

A. Nicki Minaj
B. Madonna
C. Lizzo
D. Iggy Azalea

Answers

1) A – Tom Brady’s attempt to trademark his nickname Tom Terrific was denied in August 2019 and sparked a backlash from baseball fans who felt the moniker belonged to pitcher Tom Seaver.

2) B – Gene Simmons withdrew his 2017 attempt to register the sign, used by rockers for decades, after just two weeks following criticism from fellow musicians.

3) C – Taco Bell used the rapper’s likeness in a 2008 ad titled Why Pay More?, suggesting 50 Cent should change his moniker to 79, 89 or 99 Cent. He settled for an undisclosed fee.

4) C – Gordon Ramsay registered his phrase in November last year. It followed a 2015 comedy skit of him slapping two pieces of bread against TV host Julie Chan’s face and labelling her an “idiot sandwich”.

5) A – Paris Hilton used the saying regularly in her Noughties reality show, The Simple Life. She trademarked it in 2007 to “Put it on T-shirts and stuff like that”.

6) B – Beauty entrepreneur Kylie Jenner filed the application for “endorsement services”. But it was rejected in 2017 after Kylie Minogue’s lawyers argued it could cause “confusion” and damage the singer’s brand.

7) C – Charlie Sheen filed an application under the company Hyro-Gliff for this and 21 other odd phrases that he had spouted during a famous 2011 interview.

8) B – Taylor Swift trademarked the names of her first two cats to make money from jewellery and filed to do the same with Benjamin in 2019.

9) D – Bake Off producers trademarked Paul Hollywood’s congratulatory move to use on products.

10) C – Lizzo. The lyrics are from her 2017 song Truth Hurts.

Topics