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. You could how to force yourself to pee for a drug test still practice moderation, and only cut out spirits, but you were encouraged to be a teetotaler. 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.
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. According to a publication by the Centennial Temperance Conference (CTC) of Philadelphia in 1885, “One Hundred Years of Temperance,” though, there was an American society that used a total abstinence pledge as early as 1826 and used the word “Teetotal” as early as 1827.
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.
Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide
There are several common origin stories, which I will report here along with some speculation as to the credibility to each one. I make sheila shilati no claims to knowing the exact origin of the word, and one or more of these stories may have some truth in them. The term was in use as early as 1836 when an explanation of it as meaning “total abstainer” appeared in print.
Why Was the Word Teetotal So Important To Temperance?
- Therefore the temperance movement began to call for total abstinence from all alcohol-containing beverages.
- Whether it was an old term by the time Turner used it, we can say that it is almost beyond doubt that he did NOT invent it.
- 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.
- Another quite silly, origin claim is that the “tee” started as “tea” and referred to drinking tea (or other beverages) instead of alcohol.
- Members of temperance organizations sang songs, organized marches to shut down saloons or pass prohibition laws, circulated pamphlets about the cause, and gave speeches on the moral problems caused by drinking.
In history, women becoming teetotallers was often an expression of religious values, or was based on general social reform principles. In the modern world, some women become teetotallers for such reasons, and others because of a past history of alcoholism or alcohol abuse. Studies in the late 2010s indicated a decline in youth drinking in Western countries, with more than one-fourth of English youth in their mid-teens to mid-20s and nearly three-tenths of college-age Americans claiming total abstinence. Informal annual events such as “Dry January” or “Sober October” also encourage participants to abstain from alcohol and promote their abstinence on social media.
Where Does the Word ‘Teetotaler’ Come From? And More Questions From Our Readers
Whether it was an old term by the time Turner used it, we can say that it is almost beyond doubt that he did NOT invent it. Here, we can use evidence from the printed word after around 1830 to 1835. 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 didn’t see anything wrong with wine, beer, or cider. Assembly of God, Baha’i, Christian Science, Islam, Jainism, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS. also known as the Mormon Church), Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Church of Christ, Sikhism, Salvation Army.
Teetotaler: Why are People Who Don’t Drink Called This?
Stephen Morley was the editor of the “Mowbray Phoenix,” a teetotaler, a vegetarian, a believer in moral force. In Dublin, the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association of the Sacred Heart (Pioneers) was founded in 1898 by another priest, James Cullen. My poor wife runs teetotal salons in Chelsea on the strength of my name. The teetotal attitude of mind and the quarrels it aroused very properly disgusted Kingsley.
Examples of teetotal in a Sentence
Also, some Hindu and Buddhist sects, and some Mennonite and Pentecostal groups. Methodists in English and American history often taught abstinence but rarely do that currently. In the Victorian era, many in both the Evangelical and Unitarian movements taught at least restraint, if not temperance and teetotalling. This is a list of notable figures who practiced teetotalism and were public advocates for temperance, teetotalism, or both. 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. 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.
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. According to Jewell, “By constantly explaining the T was for Total, we were directly called the T-totalers, and this was the origin of the word five years before it was coined in England.” CTC does concede that the term may have been popularized in England, though. 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.
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 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.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints rejects alcohol based upon the Word of Wisdom.
Teetotal and teetotaler first appeared with their current meanings in 1834, eight years after the formation of the American Temperance Society. In the 19th century, the Preston Temperance Society in England and, later, the American Temperance Union encouraged a pledge of abstinence from intoxicating liquor, as part of the temperance movement. Those who had signed the pledge were asked to use a T with their signature to mean “total abstinence.” The T plus the “total” led to those who’d signed the pledge gas x and alcohol interaction being called T-totallers or teetotallers. Whereas many temperance groups lobbied for prohibition, the Washington Temperance Society, whose members were known as the Washingtonians, emphasized individual reform over societal reform.
This dates back to the early years of the organisation, and the missionary work among alcoholics. The idea that Turner made an impassioned speech on total abstinence after wandering into a meeting one day seems to be an invention. “We agree to abstain from all liquors of an intoxicating quality whether ale, porter, wine or ardent spirits, except as medicine.” I was certainly not under the influence of strong drink, for I was then, as I have been for forty-nine years, a teetotaler.
People often invent origin tales of this sort when somewhat archaic words are used, and then a similarity is noticed, such as the “T” meaning total and total abstinence pledgers being known as teetotalers. 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. It is not known exactly when, why, and where this movement first began, but most early histories do indeed seem to place the first “teetotal society” in Preston, in 1832. The Preston society did begin using a total abstinence pledge in 1832 and it did become known as the teetotal pledge.