Where Does the Word ‘Teetotaler’ Come From? And More Questions From Our Readers

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. It is sometimes claimed that he put the “tee” at the beginning for the general reason described above, as emphasis. Still another claim is that Turner didn’t invent the word, but that it was an archaic word from the Lancashire dialect. At the beginning of the temperance movement, most temperance societies didn’t see anything wrong with wine, beer, or cider. Landmark Recovery was founded with a determination to make addiction treatment accessible for all.

Notable advocates

That teetotal was a long-established Lancashire term was backed up by other contemporaries. From there, the term came to be used more generally, for anyone who voluntarily committed to abstinence, or simply for a nondrinker. It is therefore likely that Richard Turner only used a word already colloquially current in the general sense of absolute, complete. 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. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only.

The Story of Richard “Dicky” Turner

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.

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

In other words, temperance began as a movement calling for abstinence from hard liquors like whiskey, rum, gin, etc. Wine, beer, and cider were often accepted and even recommended as a good substitute for hard spirits. 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.

Through our integrated treatment programs, we’ve helped thousands of people choose recovery over addiction and get back to life on their own terms. We encourage all those struggling with substance use to seek professional help. Not all of those in recovery are teetotalers, nor is it a requirement of being in recovery. Many do choose to remain abstinent of alcohol, however, in order to prevent teetotalism meaning a relapse or problem behavior. 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.

The History Behind “Teetotal” Movements

• 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.
• The exact origins of the word are somewhat debated, but it is believed to have been coined by a member of the temperance society who, during a meeting, emphasized their total commitment to abstaining from alcohol by repeating the letter ‘t’ in ‘total’ to emphasize their pledge.
• 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.
• He argued that the only true path to a life of wild excitement was total abstinence from alcohol.
• The two classes of signers were distinguished as those who took the “old pledge,” and had “O.P.” placed before their names, and those who took the “new” or “total pledge” (“T.”); the frequent explanation given of these letters made “T.―total” familiar.
• 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.

The practice gained traction in a cultural climate that increasingly recognized the detrimental effects of alcohol on health and social behavior. Teetotalism often became intertwined with various social and political movements, advocating for broader reforms in drinking culture and public health. Over the years, it has evolved from being primarily a moral stance to more of a personal choice intertwined with wellness and lifestyle decisions. People believe the term “teetotal” originated in the 19th-century temperance movements in the UK and the US.

lifestyle choice

• This means they’ve waved goodbye to the likes of beer, wine, and spirits in favor of more tepid beverages, like water, fruit juice, or herbal tea.
• It was encouraged among the working class, whereas moderation was more readily accepted among the upper classes, who could afford wine.
• All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only.
• Not drinking alcohol can improve liver function, reduce blood pressure, and decrease the risk of alcohol-related diseases.
• Also, some Hindu and Buddhist sects, and some Mennonite and Pentecostal groups.
• So, the next time you’re at a social gathering and you see someone proudly declaring their teetotal lifestyle, raise a glass of your alcoholic beverage and toast to their decision to live life on the wild side of sobriety.

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. 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. Teetotalism was embraced by some religious groups and moral reformers as the answer to the problems of poverty, unemployment or work absenteeism, declining church attendance, crime, and domestic violence.

It was also estimated that about a quarter of a million individuals were practicing total abstinence. The two classes of signers were distinguished as those who took the “old pledge,” and had “O.P.” placed before their names, and those who took the “new” or “total pledge” (“T.”); the frequent explanation given of these letters made “T.―total” familiar. (b) Richard Turner, an artisan of Preston, in Lancashire, England, is said, in advocating the principle of temperance, about 1833, to have maintained that “nothing but te-te-total will do”; while a variation of this account makes the artisan a stutterer. Both accounts appear to be correct, and the word may have originated independently in the two countries. Once upon a time, in 1833, a man named Richard Turner stood up in a meeting of the Preston Temperance Society in Lancashire, England. The society was dedicated to promoting a life of sobriety, but Turner believed they didn’t go far enough.

Another quite silly, origin claim is that the “tee” started as “tea” and referred to drinking tea (or other beverages) instead of alcohol. More likely, teetotal was simply a misspelling of teetotal, which caused people to believe that it had something to do with tea. The fact Turner mentions signing the “teetotal pledge” rather than the “total pledge” suggests that it was a more or less accepted way of describing the pledge, and using the word may not support the idea that he had coined the word by an accidental stutter. So, a teetotaler wasn’t someone who “doesn’t drink” as much as it is someone who “doesn’t drink distilled spirits, or wine, or beer, or anything else.” You could still “practice temperance without being a teetotaler.