When the Water Wagon Comes to Town 🛻
Origin and Explanation 🌊
To refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages. This term began life as being on the water wagon, referring to the horse-drawn water cart used to spray dirt roads in order to keep down the dust. The metaphor for abstaining from liquor originated about the turn of the century. It was defined (“To be on the water wagon, to abstain from hard drinks”) in Dialect Notes of 1904. B. J. Taylor used it in Extra Dry (1906): “It is better to have been on and off the Wagon than never to have been on at all.” The flip side, resuming drinking, is often put as falling off the wagon.
Related Terms and Similar Expressions 🚫🍺
- Teetotaler: Someone who abstains entirely from alcohol.
- Synonyms: Non-drinker, abstainer
- Antonyms: Drinker, tippler
- On the wagon: Actively abstaining from alcohol.
- Synonyms: Dry, sober
- Antonyms: Off the wagon, relapsed
- Off the wagon: Resuming drinking after a period of abstinence.
- Synonyms: Relapsed, drinking again
- Antonyms: On the wagon, sober
Humor-filled Quotations 😂
“This evening’s forecast suggests drinking will be light. But the likelihood of the water wagon rolling through is about zero.”
— Hank On-A-Bender
Proverbs 🍺📜
“First the man takes a drink; then the drink takes a drink; then the drink takes the man.”
— Proverbs of sobriety
In Popular Culture 🎥🎶📚
- Books:
- Dry by Augusten Burroughs – A memoir depicting life on and off the wagon.
- Movies:
- Leaving Las Vegas – A raw take on addiction and abstinence.
- Songs:
- “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse – A melody of reluctance and relapse.
- “One Step at a Time” by Jordin Sparks – An anthem for slow, deliberate change.
Quizzes (Because You Can Handle the Honest Truth)📚
Farewell Thought 💭
Just as the water wagon makes its rounds, so should mindfulness steer your way! In navigating the tempest of life’s choices, keeping a steady course—be it on the wagon or simply consistent—can lead you home to clear horizons. Stay witty, stay wise!
Ella Lotsawords October 2023
