Glass onions were large hand blown glass bottles used aboard sailing ships to hold wine or brandy. For increased stability on rough seas, the bottles were fashioned with a wide-bottom shape to prevent toppling, thus making the bottles look somewhat onion-shaped.
Famous quotes containing the words glass and/or onion:
“Sunshine of late afternoon
On the glass tray
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turned down, by which
a key is lyingAnd the
immaculate white bed”
—William Carlos Williams (18831963)
“Let onion atoms lurk within the bowl,
And, scarce suspected, animate the whole.”
—Sydney Smith (17711845)
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