The name "tumbler" is traced to the mid-17th century. Originally, the term referred to a type of cup, usually metal, with a round bottom. When placed on a table, these cups would roll -- or tumble -- spilling the drink of anyone who put the cup down with a drink on it. This tumbling may have been slight, given that surviving examples of the tumbler seem to sit relatively steadily on their rounded bases.

The idea that tumblers would spill if set down is not the only possible explanation. Some sources believe the opposite -- they claim that tumblers were weighted at the bottom so that they would automatically right themselves if knocked over. This view dates to at least the late 19th century and is advocated by some antiques experts today. As a third option, an 18th-century etymologist suggested that the word "chalice" for a drinking glass originated from a Greek word meaning "to roll around."

The idea that tumblers are so named because they "tumble" over has some support from the fact that there were other types of medieval drinking vessels, such as the drinking horn, that would roll when placed on the table. No matter which explanation is correct, the question remains as to why modern short glasses, which don't tumble, are still called tumblers.

One possible explanation for the survival of the name is that it relates not to the shape but to the size of a glass. Today's tumbler is about the same size as those of the 17th century. The term "tumbler" appears in some old recipes much in the same way "cup" does -- suggesting that the connection may simply be the size of the vessels.