meaning - Is "plastic glass" as a container a valid expression?


In another question here (sanity of a plastic glass!) the term "plastic glass" is being used which sounds somewhat odd to me, but has not been brought into question by any respondents.


Maybe it is has to do with the fact that my mother tongue is German where a "Glass" is always made from glass, while a plastic cup would be be "Plastikbecher". (which would translate into plastic cup.)


Can anyone confirm this for me?



Answer



Only a slight addition to what's been said before, but I think it adds something.


A plastic glass (in the UK) would normally be used to refer to a plastic substitute for a drinking vessel usually made of glass (e.g. for picnics/camping or at concerts), and would normally be transparent (though as with glass glasses, many styles exist, translucent coloured wine "glass"es being quite common in camping shops).


A plastic cup may be provided for water, terrible coffee, etc. and is often white, though sometimes (for water) is transparent. IME this is always a disposable cup. A camping coffee cup made of plastic would be a plastic mug (and shaped like a normal mug), while a vessel for soft drinks might (in the UK, but not the US) be a beaker (the qualifier plastic isn't really needed there), with childish implications.


Finally for another meaning of glasses, "plastic glasses" can be used to refer to spectacles with plastic lenses, or with plastic frames.


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