"It does exactly what it says on the tin" was originally an advertising slogan in the United Kingdom, which then became a common idiomatic phrase in that country.[1][2] It colloquially means that the name of something is an accurate description of its qualities. It is akin to the previously existing phrases "by name and by nature" and "it lives up to its name". It originated in a series of television advertisements by the woodstain and wood-dye manufacturer Ronseal, initiated in 1994[3][4] and still being broadcast in advertisements and online media as of 2021[update].[5]
The slogan was created by Liz Whiston and Dave Shelton at the London advertising agency HHCL.[6] The idea of the phrase was to emphasise that the company's products would act and last for the amount of time exactly as described on the tin can. The word tin is generally used even when the product is sold in a different type of container, although box is also sometimes used. The expression soon entered common usage in the UK.[2]
The phrase is also commonly known and used in Ireland. The Ronseal advertising campaign has also been shown there, and UK television is widely available in Ireland. In 2004, toothpaste manufacturer Colgate began a similar copycat advertising campaign in Ireland stating that its product "does exactly what it says on the tube".
The phrase is a registered trademark of the Sherwin-Williams Company, the owner of Ronseal, across the European Community for products including paints, varnishes, and wood preservatives (E3085826).[7]
^Eric Partridge, Tom Dalzell, Terry Victor. The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, 2007. Page 653.
^ abJim Blythe. Consumer behaviour, pg.116
^Stamp, Gavin (18 June 2006). "Probably the best corporate slogan..." BBC News Online. Retrieved 18 September 2007.
^"The Ronseal Phrase". www.ronseal.com. We started to write a commercial that featured a straightforward guy who said lines like: "If you've got wood to stain and you want it to dry quickly, you need Ronseal Quick Drying Woodstain.
^How To Re-Stain Decking | DIY Tips from Ronseal, retrieved 12 November 2021
^"The Ronseal phrase: It does exactly what it says on the tin". BBC News. BBC News Online. 8 January 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
^"Community Trade Mark E3085826". Retrieved 29 August 2011.
and 14 Related for: Does exactly what it says on the tin information
the phrase "Doesexactlywhatitsaysonthetin". The advertising slogan, which was created by agency HHCL, has since entered popular culture. The company...
Brady, Tara (2016). "Couple in a Hole review: brilliantly doesexactlywhatitsaysonthetin". The Irish Times. Retrieved 6 July 2017. "Couple in a Hole"...
(misses the mark on following the rules of golf)". Touch Arcade gave the game 3.5 out of 5 stars saying "itdoesexactlywhatitsaysonthetin cup". Ives-Allison...
2008. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2014. "Delia's New Series DoesExactlyWhatItSaysontheTin". Coventry Evening...
Direction's wholesome image in the sexy music video," and added, "The promo clip doesexactlywhatitsaysonthetin, as the former boybander demonstrates...
Portslade". Portslade History. Retrieved 11 June 2021. "It does exactly whatitsaysonthetin". Sheffield.net. Retrieved 11 June 2021. "Ronuk of Portslade"....
London doesexactlywhatitsaysonthetin, the repeated near hysterical refrain, 'I wanna go to a friend's party', both refreshing in its cut-to-the-chase...
name. The association is made as follows: Pliny reported that "Timaeus says there is an island named Mictis … where tin is found, and to which the Britons...
Chilton defines the term "Great American Songbook" as follows: "Tunes of Broadway musical theatre, Hollywood movie musicals and Tin Pan Alley (the hub of songwriting...
Delivering exactlywhatitsaysonthetin, the Walrus is characterised by a thick, bushy growth of long whiskers that droop over the mouth to give the wearer...
Global Information