The story goes like this:
1. The Pie Pan: The frisbee's origins can be traced back to the 19th century, when tin pie plates were thrown around for fun.
2. The Wham-O Company: In 1948, the Wham-O Company started selling a plastic flying disc called the "Pluto Platter." This was the first mass-produced flying disc toy.
3. The "Frisbie Pie Company": However, the "Pluto Platter" wasn't an instant hit. The Wham-O company decided to rebrand their product in 1957, seeking a more catchy name. They looked to "Frisbie," a pie company based in Connecticut, whose pie tins were known to be thrown around the campus of Yale University by students for fun.
4. The "Frisbie" Name: The Wham-O company trademarked the name "Frisbee," and it quickly became synonymous with the flying disc.
So, the word "frisbee" is a combination of the "Frisbie Pie Company" and the college students who used their pie tins for recreational throwing. The name has now become a generic term for flying discs, despite the fact that the "Frisbee" brand is owned by Wham-O.