# Maybe not a "great debate".... (Jars v Bottles) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 26, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888 "2017-10-26T14:16:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/21 "2017-10-26T20:38:23Z")
OTOH, I’ve made some pretty severe cocktails in old jars after all the ordinary glassware was either dirty, broken, or I couldn’t remember where we kept it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/22 "2017-10-26T22:07:34Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > That’s a bear. Different thing entirely. Well played. 😃 > [@Grrr](#): > > Yes. Why wouldn’t it be? (It has a spout, which makes it even MORE bottle-y.) I agree. But apparently **running coach** doesn’t because it has honey in it. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/23 "2017-10-26T22:22:51Z")
What about the difference between jars and glasses?. In the south it is a glass of jelly and you may drink your tea from a mason jar. Go figure… /hijack, sorry! ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/24 "2017-10-26T23:55:14Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > I don’t envy English language learners. Native speakers can’t even sort this out. Wait until you find out what “inflammable” means. Beware being neither a native English nor French speaker in Quebec where trucks hauling gasoline and propane and the like bear the label “inflammable”. Presumably meaning that you can have a leisurely smoke right beside it, striking your match on the side of the tank, because no way this stuff will burn. The Frenchman, however, knows that “inflammable” is just French for the English “flammable”. But pity the poor Frenchman learning English and getting to the part about forming antonyms, and discovering that “inflammable” is also an English word that means the same damn thing. Upon learning its meaning, he might declare such linguistic morphology to be incredible, but we can assure him that to the contrary it’s quite credible, and that such knowledge is invaluable. And how come when housewives say they’re “canning” preserves and jams and sauces and stuff, they end up actually putting the stuff in jars instead of cans? Aren’t they actually “jarring” and not “canning”? In view of these challenges that face our civilization, I wouldn’t worry about jars vs. bottles! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/25 "2017-10-27T00:29:44Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > A bottle is used for liquids. A jar is used for solids and liquids that don’t easily pour from a bottle i.e. honey. You’ve got thick moonshine over thar. Or beer in a hipster restaurant. > [@StraightTalk](#): > > Why do we call it a bottle of aspirin and a jar of peanut butter when the containers have basically the same shape? Jars have to be glass. Bottles can be glass, plastic, maybe metal. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/26 "2017-10-27T01:26:07Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Jars have to be **glass**. Bottles can be glass, plastic, maybe metal. Or porcelain. Or [plastic.](https://www.uline.com/Grp_287/Jars?pricode=WA3522&AdKeyword=plastic%20jars%20with%20lids&AdMatchtype=e&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIytno5tKP1wIVkLbACh2Y5w6WEAAYASAAEgIU6vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/27 "2017-10-27T01:29:40Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Jars have to be glass. ? Peanut butter jars. Mayonnaise jars. Etc. Usually plastic. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/28 "2017-10-27T01:41:11Z")
I have seen many bottles of liquor made of plastic. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/29 "2017-10-27T02:01:11Z")
Bottle is intended to have the contents poured from it. Jar is more suitable for contents that must be removed by reaching inside and lifting the contents over the lip. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/30 "2017-10-27T02:35:31Z")
I typically only use bottle for soda or ketchup. I use jar for everything else. That’s my normal speech pattern. If you pointed out a specific item and asked jar or bottle? Then perhaps I might say bottle. I never give it much thought. Please hand me the jar of… works 90% of the time. There’s also carton to consider. Juice and milk comes in a carton. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/31 "2017-10-27T12:26:17Z")
I agree that bottles usually have a neck (except in weird cases where someone took what was once a bottle and removed the neck while keeping the same function) and that jars usually don’t. But I can think of things that are jar-shaped that we don’t call jars. On the ground in front of me is my Lays Stax, which are in neck-less cylindrical container. But I would never call it a jar of chips. Even though it is plastic, I think I’d call it a “can.” I also have a container of sugar that has a very small neck, but is mostly cylindrical. It’s about twice as wide as the can I mentioned earlier, and a bit taller. It has a screw on lid, unlike the “can.” It doesn’t seem to be a jar or a bottle. We just call it a container. It seems too big to be a bottle. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/32 "2017-10-27T12:32:08Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I typically only use bottle for soda or ketchup. > > I use jar for everything else. > > That’s my normal speech pattern. If you pointed out a specific item and asked jar or bottle? Then perhaps I might say bottle. > > I never give it much thought. Please hand me the jar of… works 90% of the time. > > There’s also carton to consider. Juice and milk comes in a carton. Milk comes in a bag. ☺ ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/33 "2017-10-27T13:34:38Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > Do a [Google image search for “aspirin bottle”](https://www.google.com/search?q=aspirin+bottle&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjdmdTK9Y7XAhVKqFQKHcVSBrsQ_AUICigB&biw=1182&bih=740) - pretty much every aspirin container has a neck significantly narrower than the body. I don’t see many/most of those as “significantly” narrower than the body, especially wrt the mouth/body ratio of peanutbutter or jelly jars. ([http://bit.ly/2zJvHE9](http://bit.ly/2zJvHE9) or [http://bit.ly/2i9f4dT](http://bit.ly/2i9f4dT)) Also, a pill bottle has exactly the same mouth diameter as the body. ([http://bit.ly/2lizyFP](http://bit.ly/2lizyFP)) The pour/squeeze vs lift contents seems to be a more robust difference. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/34 "2017-10-27T13:38:04Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Also, a pill bottle has exactly the same mouth diameter as the body. ([http://bit.ly/2lizyFP](http://bit.ly/2lizyFP)) Maybe a regional thing, but I wouldn’t refer to that as a “bottle.” ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/35 "2017-10-27T13:59:20Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Milk comes in a bag. ☺ That’s just weird. I know, I know, Canadians will often buy their milk in bags, but I still think it’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/36 "2017-10-27T14:08:43Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > … > In the south it is a glass of jelly and you may drink your tea from a mason jar. Go figure… I’ve lived south of the Mason-Dixon since I could walk and I have never heard anyone ask for a glass of jelly. They may re-purpose jelly jars as glasses (jelly glasses), but I never thought that it was a Southern thing, I though everyone did that (I have a hard time believing Welch’s used different jars for different parts of the country) > [@](#): > > /hijack, sorry! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/37 "2017-10-27T14:10:57Z")
There’s also wine in boxes. And milk is little no-refrigeration-needed boxes. Packagin’ be gettin’ weird here in the modern era. Ultimately, colloquial terms like “jar” and “bottle” mean whatever we collectively and imprecisely use them to mean. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/38 "2017-10-27T14:14:11Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > Maybe a regional thing, but I wouldn’t refer to that as a “bottle.” Huh. What do you call it? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/39 "2017-10-27T14:19:32Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I don’t see many/most of those as “significantly” narrower than the body, especially wrt the mouth/body ratio of peanutbutter or jelly jars. ([http://bit.ly/2zJvHE9](http://bit.ly/2zJvHE9) or [http://bit.ly/2i9f4dT](http://bit.ly/2i9f4dT)) > > Also, a pill bottle has exactly the same mouth diameter as the body. ([http://bit.ly/2lizyFP](http://bit.ly/2lizyFP)) > > The pour/squeeze vs lift contents seems to be a more robust difference. Agree. The whole point of the shape difference is to facilitate the use difference. But that’s sorta like arguing whether we name the chicken for the egg or the egg for the chicken. I’ve certainly gotten pills in containers that are purely cylindrical; that’s certainly the typical pharmacy standard in the US for ordinary quantities of ordinary sized/shaped meds. But I’ve never called that container a “pill jar”. It’s a “pill bottle”. IOW, practically speaking, the word “jar” or “bottle” gets associated with the product it contains, not the shape. And the association remains even if the shape morphs over time. I’d still refer to those new-fangled upside down squeeze/squirt containers of mayo as a “jar”. Not that I think that the container \*is \*a jar, but that I’d probably say “Hey dear, while you’re digging in the fridge please hand me that jar of mayo for my sandwich.” It’s colloquially a “jar” because it contains mayo, not because it is a widemouthed container stored upright with the lid on top. Since it isn’t actually a wide-mouthed container stored upright with the lid on top. Rather the opposite. In other shocking news, I also dial my mobile phone. You probably do too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888/40 "2017-10-27T14:24:05Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Huh. What do you call it? Vial? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-not-a-great-debate-jars-v-bottles/799888.md?page=3)