The little rod, now plastic but formerly wood, used to stir a mixed drink has been known as a swizzle stick since the late nineteenth century. The swizzle part of the name originated in the early nineteenth century as a generic name forany drink made from a mixture of intoxicating spirits. Swizzle may have derived from switchel—a drink of rum, molasses, and water, first referred to by name in the late eighteenth century—or it may have originated as a nonce word, that is, as a word whimsically invented by combining other words. If this is the case with swizzle, then perhaps it was formed from swill and guzzle, or swallow and fizzle, or swig and sozzle (sozzle means to mix sloppily). Rather similar to swizzle sticks are the little parasols placed in some cocktails, especially ones made with fruit juice. Whether these parasols originated as mere decoration or as a means of protecting cool drinks from a hot sun remains an open question. More certain is that these petite umbrellas have never acquired a name of their own. Accordingly, perhaps they could be given the name ombrellino, an Italian word originally denoting the small canopy extended over the elements of Communion when transporting them from one location to another. Ombrellino, like umbrella, derives from the Latin umbra, meaning shade.