What is a Teetotaler?
A person who completely abstains from alcoholic beverages may be called a teetotaler, a description which has surprisingly little to do with the non-alcoholic beverage known as tea. “Teetotaler” actually comes from a relatively obscure grammatical practice known as reduplication. By duplicating the first letter, the speaker gives additional emphasis to the entire word. Before it was applied to fervent non-imbibers, the term “T-total” was already in common use as a synonym for complete or absolute. A teetotaler, therefore, would be a person who has completely or absolutely sworn off the consumption of alcohol. It is believed the word “teetotaler” became popular during British temperance meetings held in the 1830s. A teetotaler may never have taken a single sip of alcohol in his or her entire life, as opposed to a reformed alcoholic or social imbiber. A teetotaler may cite religious or social convictions as the basis for his or her abstinence, or else he or she may have witnessed the eff
A person who completely abstains from alcoholic beverages may be called a teetotaler, a description which has surprisingly little to do with the non-alcoholic beverage known as tea. “Teetotaler” actually comes from a relatively obscure grammatical practice known as reduplication. By duplicating the first letter, the speaker gives additional emphasis to the entire word. Before it was applied to fervent non-imbibers, the term “T-total” was already in common use as a synonym for complete or absolute. A teetotaler, therefore, would be a person who has completely or absolutely sworn off the consumption of alcohol. It is believed the word “teetotaler” became popular during British temperance meetings held in the 1830s. A teetotaler may never have taken a single sip of alcohol in his or her entire life, as opposed to a reformed alcoholic or social imbiber. A teetotaler may cite religious or social convictions as the basis for his or her abstinence, or else he or she may have witnessed the eff
