fiasco

Where does the word "fiasco" come from? It comes from Late Latin flasco, passing through Italian and French before entering English (1855).

Fiasco’s story begins in Late Latin: flasco meant “a bottle.” Meaning "a bottle" or "flask". By 1800s, the word had taken hold in Italian as fiasco. From the theatrical phrase "far fiasco" (to make a bottle), meaning to fail on stage. From there it passed into French as faire fiasco by 1800s. Adopted the Italian theatrical phrase to mean "turn out a failure". It reached English by 1855 as fiasco. Adopted via French theatrical slang for an embarrassing and complete failure. Today, fiasco means a complete and embarrassing failure.

1. Stage 1 · Late Latin · ancient flasco "a bottle", meaning "a bottle" or "flask".
2. Stage 2 · Italian · 1800s fiasco "a complete failure", from the theatrical phrase "far fiasco" (to make a bottle), meaning to fail on stage.
3. Stage 3 · French · 1800s faire fiasco "to turn out a failure", adopted the Italian theatrical phrase to mean "turn out a failure".
4. Stage 4 · English · 1855 fiasco "an embarrassing and complete failure", adopted via French theatrical slang for an embarrassing and complete failure.