Giacomo's Lackluster Bottles

RAY: This puzzler is from the world of history, folklore, art, art history, etymology, obfuscation, and maybe complete fabrication.

Here it is:

For centuries the world has been astounded by both the art and artisanry of Italian glassblowers of the Rennaisance. In fact, glass making was such a secret that they even moved the artists to the island of Murano near Venice.

While many of these artists' creations have found their way to museums and private collections in virtually every corner of the world, many did not. And even for those with many years of training in this art form success was often elusive. And when these artists of that era would fail in their attempts to create something of beauty, they would save these lacklustre works to serve as a reminder of the fact that they messed up. Maybe there was a flawed technique or some inattention to detail.

These artists often referred to these substandard works of art, these disappointments, these failures, as 'bottles.'

-- Hey, Giacomo, what's a thatta you make?

-- Eh, it's just a bottle.

We use this Italian word for 'bottle' in the English language. In fact we use it intact, unchanged. Except in English, it does not mean 'bottle.' Rather its meaning is derived from its use by those Italian glassblowers.

The question is, what's the word?

Here's a little hint: The word is a common English word that's often been used by many in association with this very program!

Think you know? Drop Ray a note!

[ Car Talk Puzzler ]