Perhaps he was drunk when he proclaimed his t-t-total abstinence. Still another claim is that Turner didn’t invent the word, but that it was an archaic word from the Lancashire dialect. You may have some family members, friends, and colleagues who don’t drink alcohol. In fact, there are numerous famous teetotalers in the business and entertainment worlds. Numerous Christian denominations forbid the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Meaning of teetotal in English
This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. The temperance movement still exists in many parts of the world but has less political influence than in the 19th and 20th centuries. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the temperance movement gained recognition in numerous countries. One of the five precepts of Buddhism is remaining free of intoxicating substances that disturb the peace and self-control of the mind. It’s formulated as a training rule assumed voluntarily rather than a commandment.
Word History and Origins
If such a term had been coined by one man during one speech, then we could not expect to see it appearing much in print in the years directly following its coinage. Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app. Some people choose to avoid alcohol because they depended on it in the past, and now they’re in recovery. It’s necessary for a recovering alcoholic to avoid alcohol, even if it means staying out of bars and pubs. YouTube’s privacy policy is available here and YouTube’s terms of service is available here.
Religious groups that require or encourage abstinence from the use of alcoholic beverages:
He was there to talk about the singer’s memoir, which they wrote together and will be published by Dey Street Books on May 21. The singer and songwriter with a silky-smooth voice has written a memoir with Paul Reiser that recounts his story of pain and redemption with dashes of humor. Most of those religions that prohibit alcohol do so on the grounds that it is harmful, that it inhibits mindfulness, or can easily lead to unethical behavior. The term was in use as early as 1836 when an explanation of it as meaning “total abstainer” appeared in print. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only.
- The decision to abstain from alcohol provides benefits for the people who choose to do so.
- These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘teetotaler.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
- The Preston society did begin using a total abstinence pledge in 1832 and it did become known as the teetotal pledge.
- My poor wife runs teetotal salons in Chelsea on the strength of my name.
- During the 19th and 20th centuries, the temperance movement gained recognition in numerous countries.
The teetotal attitude of mind and the quarrels it aroused very properly disgusted Kingsley. They listened to some foolish women’s cackle—teetotal cant, I call it—and refused me anything. From there, the term came to be used more generally, for anyone who voluntarily committed to abstinence, or simply for a nondrinker. There are several common origin stories, which I will report here along with some speculation as to the credibility to each one. I make no claims to knowing the exact origin of the word, and one or more of these stories may have some truth in them.
Women formed their own Washingtonian chapters, Martha Washington societies, and called themselves “Marthas.” By the late 1840s, most Washingtonian chapters had stopped meeting owing to declining membership. Richard Turner, a member of the Preston Temperance Society, received credit for using the slang word “teetotally.” He used it to describe abstinence from all existing alcoholic drinks. In other words, someone, or more than one person, may have referred to them as teetotalers, using a known word, and only later was it supposed that this came about because of the “T” written on the pledge rolls.
Turner spoke of “signing the pledge.” Stories are also told that Temperance Societies would have people sign moderation pledges or total pledges. Those taking the total pledge would place a “T” after their name so that they became known as T-totalers, and later, teetotalers. At the beginning of the temperance movement, most temperance societies benzo withdrawal timeline and symptoms didn’t see anything wrong with wine, beer, or cider. It was distilled spirituous liquors which were seen as the real evil. Although the temperance movement died out in the United States in the early 20th century with the failure of Prohibition, alcohol abstinence was the foundation for a new movement focused on recovery from addiction.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), founded in 1935 in Akron, Ohio, developed as a fellowship group for alcoholics seeking recovery through total abstinence. The basis of AA was the Twelve Steps program, which outlines the group’s principles and methods for recovery. It’s best to drink responsibly and moderate your pace of drinking. If not, you https://soberhome.net/ might be faced with the decision about whether to join the list of teetotalers for your own benefit. There are numerous reasons why a person might choose to become a teetotaler. They can include health and medical concerns, family or social influences, philosophical or political ideologies, past alcoholism, and religious beliefs.
Later, attitudes changed and wine, beer, and cider came to be seen as just as much of a problem as spirits. Therefore the temperance movement began to call for total abstinence from all alcohol-containing beverages. To teetotal was to abstain from both hard liquor and wine, beer, etc. You could still practice moderation, and only common medications used for drug and alcohol detox cut out spirits, but you were encouraged to be a teetotaler. From the early days of the mass temperance movement, total abstinence from alcohol was promoted by some advocates, such as Presbyterian clergyman Lyman Beecher, who published Six Sermons on the Nature, Occasions, Signs, Evils, and Remedy of Intemperance in 1827.
To be included in this list, individuals must be well-known for their abstention from alcohol, their advocacy efforts, or both.Individuals whose abstention from alcohol is not a defining characteristic or feature of their notability are intentionally excluded. An American source first recorded the word “teetotal” in a general sense in 1832. The next year, an English source cited it in the context of abstinence.
