Podcast Summary

Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly

Episode: It’s a Floor Wax and a Dessert Topping: Unintended Product Uses
Date: March 21, 2026
Host: Terry O’Reilly

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Terry O’Reilly explores the fascinating world of products that have found unexpected uses beyond their original intention. Using stories from history, pop culture, and his own experiences, Terry recounts how everything from baking soda to bubble wrap, and even pharmaceutical drugs, have been repurposed by consumers in imaginative and sometimes hilarious ways. He also probes how brands and marketers react—whether embracing or resisting—the new lives their products are given in the hands of the public.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Birth of Unintended Uses: Baseball’s Hand Signals

• Origin Story (01:33–05:02):
  Hand signals in baseball began as a communication tool for deaf players, gradually becoming a universal secret language for teams.
  • Insight: Innovations for accessibility can transform and enrich entire industries.
  • Memorable Quote:
    “Back in 1888, no one knew that hand signals, originally developed to aid deaf players, would one day be adopted by all Major League Baseball teams as a stealth way to communicate. It was an unintended use that changed the game.” (04:37)

2. Avon Skin So Soft: The Accidental Bug Repellent

• A Surprising Hack (05:15–07:35):
  Although created as a moisturizing lotion, countless people—and allegedly, the British Special Air Services—swear by its bug-repelling qualities.
  • Avon eventually released a dedicated “Bug Guard,” but many persist in using the original lotion.
  • Quote:
    “Avon Skin So Soft Lotion makes no claim to be a bug repellent, but lots of people swear by it.” (06:08)

3. Newspapers: From News to Glass Cleaner

• Household Staple with a Twist (07:50–09:23):
  Newsprint excels as a glass and window cleaning tool, thanks in part to soy-based inks and the absorbent, mildly abrasive paper—leaving glass streak-free and lint-free.

4. Baking Soda: The Pinnacle of Product Versatility

• An All-Purpose Marvel (09:32–12:17):
  Originally for baking, its uses ballooned: deodorant, teeth whitener, fire extinguisher, household cleaner, weed killer, first aid for bites, and more.
  • Quote:
    “Baking soda may be the one product with the most unintended uses.” (09:32)

5. Listerine: From Surgery to Floor Cleaning

• Evolution of Use (12:20–13:24):
  Starting as a surgical antiseptic, Listerine has served as a gonorrhea remedy, dandruff treatment, mouthwash, and floor cleaner.
  • Referenced jokingly in SNL’s “new shimmer” sketch: “it’s a floor wax and a dessert topping.” (13:14)

6. Ozempic and the Lizard Connection

• Scientific Serendipity (13:30–16:20):
  The popular weight loss and diabetes drug traces its origins to a hormone found in the venom of the Gila monster, initially developed for diabetes but now a global weight-loss phenomenon.
  • Quote:
    “What started as a diabetes drug turned Ozempic and drugs like Wegovy into a weight loss phenomenon, which, lizard aside, was a definite unintended use.” (16:13)

7. Botox: From Food Poisoning to Wrinkle-Buster

• A Series of Medical Left Turns (17:00–19:00):
  Botulinum toxin’s journey from food poisoning (discovered after a funeral ham incident) to optical treatments and finally, global beauty staple.
  • Quote:
    “And the rest is an unintended wrinkle in history.” (18:35)

8. Minoxidil (Rogaine): A Hairy Side Effect

• From Hypertension to Hair Restoration (19:02–20:40):
  Initially for blood pressure, its unintended hair growth effect led to the first major baldness cure embraced by the public.
  • Funny Insight:
    “Some even rubbed it on their chests to stimulate chest hair.” (20:35)

9. McDonald’s Coffee Spoon and the Law

• Unintended Illicit Use (20:49–22:20):
  The famous plastic spoon, meant for stirring coffee, was co-opted for drug use, forcing McDonald's to replace it with a flattened stir stick.
  • Quote:
    “...it would be a massive undertaking. That’s when Parents for Drug Free Youth asked [...] do it for them and do it for America’s kids.” (21:55)

10. Bubble Wrap: From Groovy Wallpaper to Packaging Icon

• Reinvention Sparked by Necessity (22:30–23:50):
  Failed as 1950s 3D wallpaper but soared as protective packaging after adoption by IBM.
  • Quote:
    “The wallpaper was pitched to IBM as soft packaging for their fragile and expensive technology. IBM loved the idea.” (23:25)

11. Treadmills: From Prison Punishment to Home Fitness

• A Rolling Rebrand (24:00–25:50):
  From ancient lifting device to Victorian penal labor punishment, the treadmill now powers modern home fitness and cardiac testing.
  • Humorous Take:
    “And it’s still punishing.” (25:45)

12. Windex: Not Just for Glass

• Multi-Tasking Cleaner (26:00–27:28):
  Immortalized by My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Terry’s own upbringing, Windex is used on everything from jewelry to mosquito bites.
  • Quote:
    “My dad believed [...] that any ailment, from psoriasis to poison ivy could be cured with Windex.” (26:02) “Put some Windex. That too.” (27:15)

13. Adult Diapers: Casino Gamblers’ Secret Weapon

• A Shocking Discovery (27:40–28:28):
  In Canadian casinos, younger, serious gamblers secretly wear adult diapers so they don’t have to leave the gaming tables.
  • Quote:
    “Turns out serious gamblers didn’t want to leave their slot machines or gaming tables, so they wore diapers so they could sit there for hours. Which brings a whole new meaning to the word craps.” (28:18)

14. The Marketer’s Dilemma: You Can’t Control End Use

• Closing Reflection (28:29–29:53):
  No matter how a product is marketed, consumers will use it in ways the creators never imagined—sometimes boosting sales, sometimes just reshaping its story.
  • Quote:
    “That’s the conundrum of marketing. You can’t control end use. [...] Other companies can only watch as their years of testing and research go straight down a newly cleaned toilet.” (29:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You can manufacture a product, but you can’t make people use it the way you advertise it.” (28:38)
• “You might be proud of your mouthwash, but somebody is going to clean floors with it.” (29:00)
• On bubble wrap:
  “And while it’s still fun to pop, there are now more sustainable packaging materials available.” (23:40)

Major Timestamps

• 01:33–05:02 | Baseball hand signals and their unlikely origins
• 05:15–07:35 | Avon Skin So Soft’s bug-repelling reputation
• 09:32–12:17 | The many lives of baking soda
• 13:30–16:20 | How a lizard led to Ozempic
• 17:00–19:00 | Botox’s journey from toxin to beauty staple
• 20:49–22:20 | McDonald’s spoon, drug laws, and unintended uses
• 22:30–23:50 | Bubble wrap: from wallpaper to packing
• 24:00–25:50 | Treadmills: from punishment to exercise
• 27:40–28:28 | Adult diapers and casino gamblers

Tone & Style

Terry O’Reilly narrates with characteristic warmth, wit, and keen advertising insight. The episode blends well-researched history, pop culture references, and humorous asides, making even potentially dry marketing topics feel vibrant and relevant to daily life.

Summary Takeaway

From injectable lizard venom and penal treadmills to diaper-clad gamblers, this episode vividly illustrates that creativity knows no bounds—not just for inventors but for product users everywhere. For marketers and listeners alike, the lesson is clear: the most useful and memorable products are often made, quite simply, by accident.