why are thermos flasks tartan?

Question

there's a joke about a sex shop and a tartan thermos. But why are they so commonly tartan? Is it anything to do with Travel rugs or the inventor's cultural background.. or something else?

You may well say camouflage.. but why?

Why did they camoflage the flask? to match the rug? covert military operations? to look nice on the hip of a kilt?

Answer 1

camoflage.

It was a Scottish invention.
http://www.magicdragon.com/Wallace/thingscot.html

Sir James Dewar (1842 - 1923) invented the dewar flask to keep liquids cool in the laboratory. The idea became the domestic thermos flask, which keeps hot liquids hot as well as cold things cold by isolating them from their surroundings, thus reducing the flow of heat. His scientific career was noted for his pioneer work on low temperature physics and vacuum techniques. He was the first to liquify hydrogen.

More info here:
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blthermos.htm

Answer 2

Actually, a man named Malcolm McGregor invented the first thermos flask in 1872 and he used the tartan for his clan on it. It was said that anyone who drank from anything other than the tartan flask would be slain by dragons.

Initially the only thermos flasks you could buy were tartan, it wasn't until later days that the design began to change though there are still many people who refuse to use any other flask than tartan stemming back to McGregor's words of warning!

Nah...just kidding! lol (sorry!)

Answer 3

You go into the shop and say "Can I have a tartan thermos and the man says we only sell the flasks, sir"

Answer 4

mine is a pink sparkly version and most of the new thermos flasks are no longer tartan

Answer 5

Youch! Whatta Man, by Tupperware™.

Answer 6

Beacuse you should put fresh cream in them to pour over the tart.