I use meditation, breathing techniques, and exercise to alter my state of mind almost every day. There are also a number of supplements, herbs, and drugs that are much safer than alcohol. 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. However, Dr. F. R. Lees says that Turner did not coin the term, but only applied it. Lees is a source of the “archaic usage” claim and says that Turner was using a term that had been in use in Ireland and Lancashire for a hundred years, and which could be found in the literature of England long before Turner used it.
Examples of teetotal in a Sentence
More likely, teetotal was simply a misspelling of teetotal, which caused people to believe that it had something to do with tea. Participants in the movement criticize alcohol intoxication and promote the benefits of teetotalism. The movement’s leaders emphasize alcohol’s impacts on family life, health, and people’s personalities. The temperance movement is a social effort that opposes the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Moreover, my own alcohol-free lifestyle never stands out as my defining memory of these events. I remember great conversations, friendly faces, positive vibes, and the ambiance or scenery of whatever the venues were.
The Story of Richard “Dicky” Turner
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. how to tell when alcohol is affecting your relationships It includes the New Order Amish, Christian Scientists, Latter-Day Saints, Seventh Day Adventists, and Mennonites. Many Christian groups, including Methodists and Quakers, have traditionally supported the temperance movement and prohibition.
Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide
I’m glad that I didn’t avoid my long-time friends just because I’d quit drinking. I naturally fell out of touch with the few friends I had who were simply alcoholic drinking buddies. I had a hard time with sudden alcohol cravings for months after I gave up alcohol.
‘Swash’, ‘Praya’, and 12 More Beachy Words
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. 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.
You can navigate the social dilemmas posed by not drinking in a culture obsessed with alcohol. Most importantly, you may just discover some new ways to enhance your personality and your health. While I’m totally in favor of going sober, I’m not one to preach against mind alteration.
- Although “to teetotal” (t total, t-total) simply means “to never drink,” it meant something more specific when it first came to be used.
- The Latter Day Saint movement reject alcohol based upon the Word of Wisdom.
- This dates back to the early years of the organisation, and the missionary work among alcoholics.
- At restaurants, teetotalers either abstain from drinking or only drink non-alcoholic beverages.
- The only total solution is to take total control of your life so that you don’t have to spend your leisure time with people who aren’t worth your time.
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. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only.
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. As early as 1827, some members of Temperance Societies reportedly signed a “T” after their name to signify their commitment to temperance.
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 treatment and recovery national institute on drug abuse nida and even recommended as a good substitute for hard spirits. Instead, the word “teetotal” or “tee-total” appears in a great many publications from 1830 onward.
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. 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. I don’t recommend that you use all of them recreationally, but they are worth knowing about in case they can enhance your quality of life. I have mixed views on prescription drugs, which I think are overused but useful in specific circumstances.
This is not the speech in which Turner is said to have coined the term. 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. 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.
I only drank maybe 2 ,3 days a month.On those occasions I did tend to binge drink and suffer from depression for days on end afterwards. I’m going to use some personal anecdotes to help me explain my strategies for going alcohol-free at dinners, parties, and weddings. 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. There are several common origin stories, which I will report here along with some speculation as to the credibility to each one.
The decision to abstain from alcohol provides benefits for the people who choose to do so. Certain people stop drinking because they want to improve their physical and mental health. According drug addiction and the disability benefits you can get to historian Daniel Walker Howe, the word came from Lyman Beecher, an American preacher and temperance advocate. Hi Margie, there are lots of new alcohol-free beverages available these days!