Meanings
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Simplified etymology
Fiasco was borrowed in the 19th century from Italian fiasco, originally meaning “bottle.” The Italian theatrical phrase far fiasco, literally “make a bottle,” meant to fail in a performance, which led to the English sense of a ridiculous or humiliating failure.
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian fiasco (“bottle, flask”), from Late Latin flasca, flascō (“bottle, container”), from Frankish *flaskā (“bottle, flask”) from Proto-Germanic *flaskǭ (“bottle”); see flask. “Failure” sense comes through French faire fiasco from Italian theatrical slang far fiasco (literally “to make a bottle”), of uncertain origin; perhaps from an expression fare il fiasco, meaning to play a game with the forfeit that the loser will buy the next bottle or round of drinks. Doublet of flacon, flagon, and flask.