Yeah, well established by people who think they're being clever and use it as a 'subtle' insult. Not saying everyone does or that it happens here, it's just been done enough to sour me on the use in general.
Funnily enough I do use Prime Ratchet as my Classics Ratchet--mostly because the Universe one was ugly as sin. But that's because I repurpose a lot of toys/am crazy (Cybertron Defense Hot Shot is now a G1 Hot Shot). But I know full well that he isn't my Ratchet he's the next gens Ratchet I stole.
He's also a hard one because he's so inspired by the Animated Ratchet, I feel, who was, of course, very inspired by the G1 Ratchet as a grumpy man.
He's also one of the Quintet (Optimus, Bee, Ratchet, Starscream and Megs, IMO) so doesn't count.:P Although, Ratchet always had a big role in the comics, I never thought he was really an overly important/iconic character until the movie, and then suddenly he was everywhere.
The unknown one. But my view could be coloured because as a kid the only two 'big' characters I ever had were Optimus and Grimlock, every other Autobot and Decpticon were ones I'd had very little experience with. A side effect of growing up on the wrong side of G1/G2 and Beast Wars I guess lol
I don't want Hasbro to completely ignore G1, I just don't want them to focus on it to the exclusion of others.
So we're all agreed that Hasbro should share the love to all 'Generations' of the franchise then?:P