Dictionaries were an item everybody needed to buy before the internet replaced them.
To bring in some revenue, I suggest a lottery / contest to name un-named items.
The only one that comes to mind is those boards at amusement parks with the faces cut out that you put your face in to take pictures so it looks like you've got a dinosaur body or something. That's an example but I'm sure there are lots of things out there that don't have a name.
Costs $5 to enter, winner of the "Name That Thing" contest has the name officially codified into the English language as the official name of that item, has it entered into all dictionaries and wins $50,000 or something.
UPDATE: Max informs me that those carnival things are called "Gilbert Boards" after the guy who invented them, but that's not the point. I'm sure there's other un-named stuff out there. For instance the link below lists:
Profanitype: symbols used by cartoonists to replace swear words (*#!$#@^&*)
I think "profanigrams" would also work.-- doctorremulac3, Dec 12 2016 Sniglets https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SnigletHere's a comedian's work on naming un-named stuff. [doctorremulac3, Dec 12 2016] The Meaning of Liff https://en.wikipedi...The_Meaning_of_LiffThis book will change your life. [tatterdemalion, Dec 12 2016] Machine Name Name Supply Machine_20Name_20Name_20Supply [tatterdemalion, Dec 12 2016] Fake Word Generator http://www.feldarkr...words/#.Vf95WPSZYZAI buy all my prescriptions here. [tatterdemalion, Dec 12 2016] Grawlixes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grawlixes// symbols used by cartoonists to replace swear words (*#!$#@^&*) // [notexactly, Apr 22 2018] Another random word generator http://fourteenminutes.com/fun/words/This is the one I usually use. [notexactly, Apr 22 2018] Washing machines are sometimes called "washers". Not much more clever but it gets the job done.
Things that toast bread are called toasters. Boxes that freeze things are called freezers implying that not a lot of creativity went into naming these. Not sure why they're not called "toasting machines" or "freezing machines".
Vacuum cleaners are interesting in that they tell how they get the job done. The freezer version would be "Freon pump freezer". Mop is both the verb and noun which you don't see a lot. "I wanted some toast, so I put the bread in the toast."-- doctorremulac3, Dec 12 2016 I thought Gilbert boards were the ones with two holes for two people to put their faces in. I'm pretty sure the single-hole ones were around before Gilbert came up with his version-- pocmloc, Dec 12 2016 // Even those future people manage quite fine just calling it a cloaking device.
Another missed "Dennis" opportunity.
[Ian Tindale] you have explored this concept before from a different perspective. "Bibiter" is still available I believe.-- tatterdemalion, Dec 12 2016 Thanks Tatt, that word generator is pretty cool. One was "Bevent". Bevential really needs a meaning attached to it. Beautiful word, full of wordly goodness.-- doctorremulac3, Dec 12 2016 Despite the popular market for vacuum cleaners, I have yet to come across a dirty vacuum.-- RayfordSteele, Apr 22 2018 That shows how effective they are.-- pertinax, Apr 22 2018 random, halfbakery