What Is The Real Reason For Lines On A Solo Cup? They Aren’t For Measuring Booze!

Red Solo cups and parties go together like… vodka and orange juice? What is the combination of coke and rum? Twenty cups of beer, a ping pong ball, and twenty cups? You get the idea.

We’ve associated these plastic cups with alcohol for years now. Many people assume that the cups’ lines are used to measure out alcohol, wine, or beer.

It turns out that most people have alcohol on the brain. You can blame the alcohol.

What College Taught Me About Solo Cups

First, I’d like to start by saying there’s technically no wrong way to use a Solo cup. There are, however, less child-friendly ways to use Solo cups, which I learned from my undergraduate years.

The classic Solo cup has three lines: 1 oz to 5 oz and 12 oz. So, intentional or not, they do make great alcohol portion guides.

One ounce is about.5 ounces away from a standard shot. A typical wine serving size is 5 oz, while a beer serving size is 12 oz.

But if the thought of drinking another jägerbomb makes you want to throw up, fear not. You aren’t done with the Solo cup.

The (Actual) Purpose Of Solo Cup Lines

So, you’ve grown out of your college rager days. You might have kids of your own. Eventually, when they’re of age, you might be able to own them at a game of beer pong.

But for now, there are lots of other ways to use these handy two-in-one cups and measuring devices. None of these involve fishing a ping pong ball out of warm Natty Lite.

According to Solo, the 1 oz line can be used to, say, pour the perfect portion of mouthwash. To make chocolate milk, you can add the perfect amount of chocolate syrup.

For things such as portioning cereals, trail mix, juice, or juice, the 5 oz range is ideal. (You know, things that don’t make your head feel like it’s going to explode the next day.)

The Solo cup’s 12-ounce line can be used to measure your water intake. Five Solo cups containing water equals the number of water experts recommends that you consume each day.

Solo’s Intentional Design

And get this, when Robert Hulseman invented the red Solo cup in the 1970s, he was not thinking of the aerodynamics of Flip Cup (shocking, I know).

“Those extra lines keep your fingers from slipping while holding the cup,” Margo Burrage, director of Solo Cup Co.’s parent company, told Politifact. “They were a quite purposeful part of the design.”

So, whether you use these cups’ lines for shots, cereal, or a no-slip grip, I’d say Solo Cups’ intentional design is one we all can enjoy. Let’s get our bottoms up

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