Teetotalism Meaning & History
My poor wife runs teetotal salons in Chelsea on the strength of my name. They listened to some foolish women’s cackle—teetotal cant, I call it—and refused me anything. Opinions changed, and one reason for this was that it became known that non-spirituous liquors did indeed contain alcohol, only at a lesser volume. You could get drunk on any of https://rehabliving.net/aa-meetings-what-they-are-types-format-schedule/ it, and so you have to abstain from all of it. 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. There are several common origin stories, which I will report here along with some speculation as to the credibility to each one.
Origin of Teetotaling
Many Christian groups, including Methodists and Quakers, have traditionally supported the temperance movement and prohibition. Whether in a public setting, such as a restaurant or party, or spending an evening at home, teetotalers choose to refrain from drinking alcohol. An American source first recorded the word « teetotal » in a general alcoholics anonymous a support group for alcoholism sense in 1832. A reinterpretation of temperance total may have contributed to its linguistic origin and development. « We agree to abstain from all liquors of an intoxicating quality whether ale, port, wine, or ardent spirits, except as medicine. Read on to learn about the origin, etymology, and reasons for abstaining from alcohol.
Examples of teetotal in a Sentence
This dates back to the early years of the organisation, and the missionary work among alcoholics. Three sources connected to the Secret Service told RealClearPolitics that DNA had been recovered from the half-used dime bag, allowing for a “partial hit” in a national database after the drug was found on July 2, 2023 — two days after a gathering of the Biden family. For those of us who enjoy an alcoholic beverage, it’s best to keep in mind that most activities in moderation aren’t harmful. This includes heading out to a restaurant or bar for a night of drinking. Teetotaler organizations usually demand that their members not produce or promote alcoholic beverages as part of their commitment.
The Story of Richard “Dicky” Turner
Teetotalers in the 19th century who belonged to temperance societies typically signed a pledge promising to abstain from alcohol. Some societies also issued a pledge card that featured the member’s name, the date of the pledge, and other details, such as the name and logo of the temperance society or illustrations depicting the miseries of drinking compared with the happiness of sobriety. A person who abstains from alcohol might choose tea as his or her alternative beverage, but the word teetotaler has nothing to do with tea. More likely, the « tee » that begins the word teetotal is a reduplication of the letter « t » that begins total, emphasizing that one has pledged total abstinence. Teetotal and teetotaler first appeared with their current meanings in 1834, eight years after the formation of the American Temperance Society.
The Temperance Movement
Teetotalism, the practice or promotion of total abstinence from alcoholic drinks. It became popular as part of the temperance movement in the early 19th century in Great Britain and North America. Unlike temperance advocates, who promoted moderation in alcohol consumption or abstention solely from hard liquor (distilled spirits), people who practice teetotalism, known as teetotalers, abstain from all alcohol, including beer and wine. Some common reasons for choosing teetotalism are psychological, religious, health,[12] medical, philosophical, social, political, past alcoholism, or simply preference. When at drinking establishments, teetotalers (or teetotallers) either abstain from drinking totally or consume non-alcoholic beverages such as water, juice, tea, coffee, non-alcoholic soft drinks, virgin drinks, mocktails, and alcohol-free beer.
They recruited other people in their community, even non-alcoholics, and held regular meetings in which they shared their experiences with drinking and sobriety. Over time, the Washingtonians attracted as many as 600,000 members, with chapters throughout the United States. Notably, they welcomed many groups that other temperance societies excluded, including Roman Catholics and Black Americans. 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.
Instead, it seems more likely that it was an old term of a type known as a “republicate.” Republication means to repeat sounds in a word, or similar sounds, often as a means to emphasize them. Turner may have used the word teetotal often, helping it to become more widespread, or it may have already been in use by the temperance movement, and Turner helped to cement it. Instead, Turner was induced to sign the pledge and then later became a well-known temperance advocate and speaker, who probably made many impassioned speeches. The idea that Turner made an impassioned speech on total abstinence after wandering into a meeting one day seems to be an invention. In history, women becoming teetotallers was often an expression of religious values, or was based on general social reform principles.
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. By 1836, when the American national temperance convention formally endorsed total abstinence, many temperance societies had switched from promoting moderation to advocating for abstinence. By this time, membership in temperance societies had reached about 1.5 million in the United States.
- These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘teetotal.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
- Also, some Hindu and Buddhist sects, and some Mennonite and Pentecostal groups.
- Indeed, as early as 1830, and probably before, temperance societies were known as “teetotal societies.” What’s more, the word appears in American printed publications almost as often as British publications and also appears in Irish ones.
- 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.
- Cheatle’s alleged interest in getting rid of the evidence was notable in part because she landed her post after a push by first lady Jill Biden and her top aide Anthony Bernal, who serves as an important liaison between the extended Biden family and officials.
They can include health and medical concerns, family or social influences, philosophical or political ideologies, past alcoholism, and religious beliefs. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘teetotal.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. 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.
The Secret Service closed its investigation just 11 days after the cocaine was found — without interviewing any potential suspects — giving the impression that the agency wasn’t interested in learning the facts behind the embarrassing incident. Some people choose to avoid alcohol because they depended alcohol detox diet eating healthy during alcohol withdrawal 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. As early as 1827, some members of Temperance Societies reportedly signed a « T » after their name to signify their commitment to temperance.
I was certainly not under the influence of strong drink, for I was then, as I have been for forty-nine years, a teetotaler. “A decision was made not to get rid of the evidence, and it really pissed off Cheatle,” a source told the outlet. Two sources told the outlet that Cheatle or someone speaking at her direction called the agency’s forensics division vault supervisor Matt White and asked him to dispose of the evidence because leadership wanted to close the case. « Khamr » is the word for all intoxicants that Islam prohibits, and Hinduism and Sikhism also require abstinence from alcohol. The teetotalism movement began in Preston, England, in the early 19th century.
