The Forgotten Origins Of The Word "Jeep"

Since SUVs have taken over the majority of the new car market in 2021, the term "Jeep" has become more commonplace than ever before. Even if it had been used to describe a wide variety of military vehicles in the late 30's, it was in 1941 that the word received the meaning we're now all familiar with; a small, 1/4 ton four-wheel-drive vehicle. It's easy to think of "Jeep" as a technical acronym, though you'd be pleasantly surprised (I hope haha) to discover that it's simply named after... a cartoon character from Popeye, of all things! Eugene the Jeep is a magical, cat-like creature living on a tree next to Popeye's house. He's super versatile, capable of making objects and himself appear and disappear, or even travel, in literally a blink of an eye. In short, he's a super cute yellow Yoda that says "Jeep-Jeep" all the time. This probably makes Jeep the only car manufacturer, in the world, named after a cartoon character. Don't believe me? Check out this short episode of how Eugene the Jeep entered Popeye's life and became a better guardian than a pack of Pitbulls!