What Do The Lines Mean On The Solo Cups? Manufacturer Finally Confirms

The common belief was that the bottom line on a Solo cup marked the quantity of one shot (1 ounce), the middle line indicated a serving of wine (5 ounces), and the top line corresponded to 12 ounces of beer.

Snopes observed that while these measurements do align with standard alcohol serving sizes, the lines on the cups were never intended to measure drinks.

Solo itself cleared up the confusion in the Frequently Asked Questions section of its website.

They revealed, "These lines mean something different for everyone!" indicating a more subjective purpose for the lines.

On their site, Solo refers to the interpretation of the cup's lines as "one of the greatest mysteries of our time."

They mention that the original 18 oz Solo cup, first introduced in the 1970s, did have lines that approximately equaled 1, 5, and 12 ounces.

Solo explains on their site: "For some, it means a responsible pour at their next tailgate. For others, it means a more secure grip as they man the grill at the BBQ. And for our littler fans, it means they can stack and unstack our cups into a pyramid without them sticking together."

Additionally, Snopes reported that Dart Container Corporation, the parent company of Solo, stated: "The lines on our Party Cups are designed for functional performance and are not measurement lines. If the lines do coincide with certain measurements, it is purely coincidental."

In a humorous response to the alcohol measurement rumor, Dart released a graphic titled "The REAL Understanding of Lines on a SOLO Cup."

In this graphic, they whimsically suggested measurements for cereal servings, syrup for chocolate milk, and even mouthwash.

However, the modern Solo cup has eliminated these lines altogether.

Solo concludes in their FAQ: "Whether it's lines, grips, or a square base, one thing our cup always means is good times are on the horizon."