I'm gonna start a company selling two rebranded generic drugs: a sleeping pill called <i>Zzz</i> and a remedy for erectile dysfunction called, obviously, <i>Xxx</i>.
<a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/XtremeKoolLetterz" rel="nofollow">http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/XtremeKoolLetterz</a><p>(Warning: TV Tropes wiki. Do you need another time sink?)
The numbers in this article are very frustrating, and the graph is misleading. The rise in absolute popularity of drugs with names with z and x has a lot less meaning if it's not presented along with the rise in total drugs too. That number (80% rise) is also mentioned, but you have to do mental arithmetic to figure out how that affects the other numbers, and it doesn't help you normalize the graph.<p>In fact, judging by the graph, if the total number of drugs increased by 80%, it looks like the relative popularity of "x" is actually static / declining over time.<p>All numbers for increases in popularity of x and z should have been normalized to the increase in drug count; in other words, described as an increase in the share of the total set of drug names (or share of new market entrants, or whatever).
this guy did a similarly in-depth bit on the same topic showing precise distribution of drug name letters compared to their distribution in common written english. pretty interesting stuff. <a href="http://www.bookofodds.com/Blogs/Numbers/2010/06-June/Why-Prescription-Drug-Names-Span-the-Alphabet-from-X-to-Z" rel="nofollow">http://www.bookofodds.com/Blogs/Numbers/2010/06-June/Why-Pre...</a>
I had a doc prescribe me Xyzal for allergies last year. I can't help but think the name was a running gag in the marketing department that stuck. Especially considering the drug's website includes a pronunciation key under the brand logo.