# "He Bottled It" Etymology & usage **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 31, 2005, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061 "2005-03-31T12:02:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/1 "2005-03-31T12:02:40Z")
“He bottled it”, or “he bottled out” is a phrase used in the UK to describe someone backing out of / making a mess out of a situation as in, He could have scored, but he bottled it. Does anyone know the etymology of this phrase? also how widespread is it’s use. is it just a UK thing or is it used in other locales too? ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/2 "2005-03-31T12:20:15Z")
Cockney rhyming slang: bottle of beer=fear. It’s more used to describe someone failing through lack of nerve than ability: “He was going to get married, but he bottled out at the last second.” Other variants are also used: “You don’t have the bottle.” means “You lack the courage”. Of course, for the full effect you need the gottal stop: “Yeh darn 'ave the bo’ll, son” ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/3 "2005-03-31T12:21:42Z")
That should read glottal stop. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/4 "2005-03-31T12:25:36Z")
cheers **Case Sensitive**. Makes perfect sense. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/5 "2005-03-31T13:11:49Z")
I would dispute the “bottle of beer” (i.e. fear) derivation. The usual expression is “He’s got a lot of bottle”, which wouldn’t make much sense as “He’s got a lot of fear”. _Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang_ says it is from rhyming slang, yes, but from “bottle and glass” meaning “arse”. It adds that this is a play on the earlier (18th-century) slang term “bottom”, meaning “character”. So, if you have a lot of bottle then you have a lot of arse, or a lot of bottom, meaning you have a strong character. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/6 "2005-03-31T13:18:44Z")
[This link](http://www.londonslang.com/db/b/) (scroll down) also backs up the “bottle and glass” explanation, with the added twist that “losing your bottle” might refer to fear-induced incontinence… I also found [this brief post](http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.usage.english/browse_frm/thread/17c229bd4d0db546/900aa0b02070734f?q=origin+bottle+group:alt.usage.english&rnum=1#900aa0b02070734f) on alt.usage.english. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/7 "2005-03-31T14:44:14Z")
Thanks **Colophon** , even if you have muddied the waters! ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/8 "2005-03-31T14:48:56Z")
It is indeed short for bottle and glass - ie arse. So to “lose one’s bottle” is pretty self explanatory. (see also “bricking it”) ---
**Author:** ![dleonard0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@dleonard0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dleonard0)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/9 "2013-03-17T01:38:43Z")
“To bottle it” might be a direct translation of ‘faire fiasco’, “[used by the French for linguistic errors committed by Italian actors on the 18th-century French stage](http://wordsmith.org/words/fiasco.html)”. Why italian actors called an error a ‘fiasco’ is unclear, but [Anatoly Liberman’s article](http://blog.oup.com/2008/04/fiasco/) explores some questionable paths, including: [ul] [li] glassblowers recycling defective glass into common wine flasks (no evidence),[/li][li] bottles hung around necks of miscreants as punishment (but punishment != failure), and[/li][li] ancient onomatopoeia for “flop” (quite speculative).[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/10 "2013-03-17T02:36:06Z")
‘bottled it’ to me refers to being able to make a living off if it (as in being able to sell it), this is the first time I have heard of something different. ---
**Author:** ![sidecar\_jon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@sidecar\_jon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidecar_jon)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/11 "2013-03-17T07:20:09Z")
yes it can mean to have something that you can sell “oi you could bottle that”… meaning a wine/drink/sauce that is good enough to sell well, but extended to anything from bravery to pies. However context is everything, Albert Steptoe bemones his day as " lookin’ up a 'Orses bottle…" (driving the rag and bone cart), here it means Arse. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/12 "2013-03-17T07:29:33Z")
You learn something new every day on the SDMB. I know “bottled it” in the captured the essence of, ie success way, and the fucked things up way. ---
**Author:** ![Frumpy\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Frumpy\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frumpy_Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/13 "2013-03-17T09:09:11Z")
I would like to note that I’ve NEVER heard that phrase over here in the U-S of A but I am always greatful to have something new to say to my British friend when I run into her. So Cheers, TM’s! ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/14 "2013-03-17T10:17:16Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > ‘bottled it’ to me refers to being able to make a living off if it (as in being able to sell it), this is the first time I have heard of something different. > [@sidecar\_jon](#): > > yes it can mean to have something that you can sell “oi you could bottle that”.. meaning a wine/drink/sauce that is good enough to sell well, but extended to anything from bravery to pies… Yes, this most definitely is the meaning of the phrase in the USA. An interesting case of a phrasal false friend. (Nice alliteration there.) ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/15 "2013-03-17T10:28:43Z")
There are other examples: “Nervy” (UK) = prone to excessive nervousness and worry, timid and fearful “Nervy” (USA) = having a lot of nerve, bold, courageous, able to keep a clear head in dangerous circumstances ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-bottled-it-etymology-usage/297061/16 "2013-03-17T10:42:33Z")
Excellent. Let me nip this in the bud, and separate it out in a new thread.