A narrow-necked, rigid or semirigid container primarily used to hold liquids and semiliquids. Bottles are typically sealed with a cap to keep out contaminants and to protect the contents from spoilage. A person who is said to have a bottle is someone with courage or nerve. It is also a term used to refer to a theater or theatrical miscue. The phrase is a part of cockney rhyming slang and has been linked to the idea that if one loses their bottle it means they’ve lost their nerve or courage.
A bottle episode is a television show that centers around the characters being trapped in a small space, with nothing to do but talk to each other. These episodes often feature some reason for the characters to be in a tight spot, such as a locked door or a bomb threat. The characters are thus left with no other choice but to communicate and, as a result, are likely to develop closer relationships in the process.
The Bottle Type/Diagnostic Shapes complex of webpages consists of several categories, each with a general discussion followed by dozens of thumbnail images that can be clicked on to see a larger version of the image. These thumbnail images are taken from old glass company catalog illustrations and are intended to assist users with identifying the most likely function or use of their particular bottle shape/type. However, please be advised that bottle “typing” is a relative art and science and not a definitive method for determining such uses.
Bottles are manufactured using many different materials and manufacturing techniques, and a single bottle may have been used for multiple types of contents. This is especially true for bottles produced in the 19th through mid-20th centuries.
Generally, the most useful information for determining the type of bottle that a particular piece may have been bottled in can be found on the Bottle Bases page. The “resting point” of the base (in terms of diameter) is the most likely place to find such information.
The neck is the constricted portion of the bottle that lies between the shoulder and the finish. The neck can either be narrow or wide, depending on the bottle type and the contents that were bottled. The neck can also be made of various materials, including glass, metal and plastic. The neck can be finished in a variety of ways, but for glass bottle types the most common is what is called an insulator finish, with a raised lip around the circumference that prevents liquid from spilling out of the bottle.
The finishes on bottles are generally formed in two parts – the upper neck and the lower finish. The upper neck is usually smooth and the lower finish has a ridge running around the outside edge, referred to as the collar. For more information on these and other types of finishes, see the Bottle Finishes page. The “upper” neck is sometimes referred to as the “collar.” The neck conformation and shape is very important for the identification of a bottle, but should be considered on a case by case basis.