teetotaler
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of teetotaler
Explanation
If you are a teetotaler, you stay away from drinking alcoholic beverages. Some people assume that teetotaler and the related word teetotal were coined to refer to people who totally abstained from drinking anything stronger than tea, but this is incorrect. (Note the spelling difference of the prefix tee.) One theory on the words' origins is that a man called Dicky Turner stuttered in an 1833 speech in Preston, England. He claimed that moderation was not sufficient, instead pledging "t-t-total" abstinence.
Vocabulary lists containing teetotaler
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This Week In Culture: Current Events Vocab for September 26–October 2, 2020
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Black Swan Green
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Teetotaler Cripps had a bit of cheer for many Britons: he could not cut the tax on beer, but he could promise better beer at the same price.
From Time Magazine Archive
Over the President's wine and Teetotaler Hitler's water they discoursed upon high politics.
From Time Magazine Archive
Teetotaler York, 71, crippled by a stroke in 1954, reported that his health is improving, allowed that he has even felt a yen to go hunting again.
From Time Magazine Archive
Teetotaler Martin rarely visits the Clinic, but there, at the end of a long day, Halleck quenches the thirst of his assistant whips and plans the next day's work.
From Time Magazine Archive
Christian and Teetotaler, who has not yet been to Japan, would be quite grateful to any wealthy travel-enthusiast who would make it possible for him to see this fascinating country.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, June 24, 1914 by Seaman, Owen, Sir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
