Spot the Frippet: pottle.

This is a word to bring a smile to the grumpiest Monday morning face.

Pottle.

Could any word be more fun to use?

Pottle pottle pottle pottle pottle POTTLE pottle pottle...

This gorgeous word has fallen into sad disuse everywhere in the world except, thankfully, for New Zealand, where it has not only been saved from extinction but has been given a new meaning which is actually rather useful.

Pottles aren't hard to spot, either.

A pottle of the more-or-less-extinct kind used to be equal to half a gallon (that's about two and a quarter litres)* but nowadays, although it's only in New Zealand that they have their proper name, there are once again pottles to be seen everywhere. 

What are they? Well, a pottle is a plastic or cardboard container for foods such as yogurt or salad.

See? You never thought you could learn to love a plastic tub, did you.

And now you can.

Word To Use Today: pottle. This word comes from the Old French potel, which means a small pot, which might in turn come from the Latin word pōtus, which is a drink.

I think it's a word that deserves to travel.

*No, it really is: heaven help us all, but a US gallon is bigger than a UK gallon.