A small glass with a safer-sounding name
A shot glass is easy to recognize by its shape, but its name can be awkward in places where rules limit how liquor may be promoted. Calling it a toothpick holder gives manufacturers a more innocuous way to describe and market the same small glass, without foregrounding alcohol.
The point is not that the glass changes or that every buyer uses it for toothpicks. It is a shift in presentation: an object associated with drinking is framed as an ordinary household accessory. That can help a product avoid some of the restrictions that apply to explicit liquor promotion, though the rules and their reach vary by region.
What the label reveals
The phrase is a reminder that product names are shaped not only by what an object does, but also by where it is sold. Manufacturers can emphasize a harmless alternative use when a more direct description would create a promotional hurdle. The little glass may still end up on a bar; on a package, it can be presented as something meant for the counter instead.
