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Ahip flask is a thin flask for holdingliquor.
Hip flasks were traditionally made ofpewter,silver, or evenglass, though most modern flasks are made fromstainless steel.[citation needed] Some modern flasks are made of plastic so as to avoid detection by metal detectors.[citation needed]
Hip flasks can vary in shape, although they are usually contoured to match the curve of the wearer's hip or thigh for comfort and discretion in a design also known as a kidney flask.[1] Some flasks have a "captive top", which is a small arm that attaches the top to the flask in order to stop it from getting lost when it is taken off.
A hip flask is most commonly purchased empty and then filled by the owner. However, the term "flask" also applies to smallest bottle sizes ofalcohol in commercial markets.[citation needed] Some flasks come with small cups to make sharing easier, although generally liquid is consumed directly from the flask.
The hip flask began to appear in the form it is recognized today in the 18th century, initially used by members of thegentry.[2]
Less compact versions had been in production for several centuries. Notably, in theMiddle Ages, there are several accounts of gutted fruit being used to store liquor. During the 18th century, women boarding dockedBritish warships would smugglegin into the ship via makeshift flasks, created from pig's bladders and hidden inside theirpetticoats. Following the act ofprohibition in 1920sUnited States, the state ofIndiana banned the sale ofcocktail shakers and hip flasks.[citation needed]
Antique hip flasks, particularly those made of silver, are now sought-after collector's items.
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Many locations in the United States have lawsprohibiting to carrying alcohol in open containers in public, which includes hip flasks, whether carried on one's person or in the passenger cabin or compartment of a vehicle.[3][4][5]
In the United Kingdom, carrying or drinking from a hip flask in public places is not illegal in general.[3] Other more specific or local laws & regulations apply regardingdrinking in public.
