A bottle is a narrow-necked, impermeable container in various shapes and sizes that stores and transports liquids and semiliquids. It is usually sealed by a stopper or cap, which prevents leakage and evaporation of the contents. The container can be made of glass, plastic, or other materials. The bottle can be sealed by a squeezing action, or it can be closed with a lid or closure, such as an induction seal. A plastic bottle is constructed from a raw material derived from petroleum and produced much like glass types, but with the added advantages of breakage resistance and lightness. They are less attractive than glass, however, and lack the gloss and transparency of their more traditional counterparts. Most of the world’s bottles are discarded, and many of those end up as pollution in landfills or in the oceans, where they can be ingested by fish and other organisms.
Bottles are classified based on their type of construction and the resin identification code used to mark them. For example, bottles constructed from HDPE (resin identification code 2) have a high moisture barrier and are resistant to chemicals that dissolve in water, making them ideal for storage of beverages and other liquids. This resin also makes HDPE bottles resistant to many oils and greases, which are commonly found in the kitchen. Bottles constructed from LDPE (resin identification code 4) are less rigid than those from HDPE, and are also somewhat more translucent. These bottles are commonly used for pharmaceutical products and cosmetics, as well as cleaning and automotive chemical applications.
The plastic bottles fabricated from polycarbonate (resin identification code PC) are a more expensive option than those of other bottle-making polymers, but they are suitable for high-end, reusable bottles. This type of plastic is stronger and more heat-resistant than glass, and it is able to withstand repeated washings and autoclaving.
The term bottle was once slang for courage or nerve, and it can still be heard in the phrase “to have a bottle of wine”. The word is also a euphemism for an embarrassing flop, such as a theatrical fiasco. In fact, it was the theatrical fiasco that prompted 19th Century theatergoers to coin the phrase “down for a bottle of fiasco,” and the expression soon extended to any dismal failure on or off the stage. The phrase has been adopted by modern sports teams, and is often shortened to “for a fiasco.” It can also be used to describe any disastrous situation that occurs at work or at home. A fiasco can involve anything from a faulty computer program to a political fiasco or even a botched home repair project. Regardless of the scope, a fiasco typically results in a negative outcome that can affect people at all levels of an organization. For this reason, it is important to learn how to identify a fiasco so that you can take the correct course of action to correct the problem as quickly as possible.
