A person who abstains from alcohol might choose tea as his or her alternative beverage, but the word teetotaler has nothing to do with tea. More likely, the "tee" that begins the word teetotal is a reduplication of the letter "t" that begins total, emphasizing that one has pledged total abstinence. In the early 1800s, tee-total and tee-totally were used to intensify total and totally, much the way we now might say, "I'm tired with a capital T." "I am now … wholly, solely, and teetotally absorbed in Wayne's business," wrote the folklorist Parson Weems in an 1807 letter. Teetotal and teetotaler first appeared with their current meanings in 1834, eight years after the formation of the American Temperance Society.
in a quandary about what to serve for the wedding toast since his future in-laws are teetotalers
Recent Examples on the WebTheir middle brother, Gotabaya, was always different: aloof, politically inexperienced, a teetotaler and vegetarian who spent 21 years in the military. Hafeel Farisz, Washington Post, 22 May 2022 Min-kyu's teetotaler, devout Christian father opposed his plan -- especially after having spent the family fortune supporting his son's five years of training as an architect in New York City's Cooper Union. Jake Kwon, CNN, 22 May 2022 Which may explain why the president, famously, is a teetotaler, as is his sister.Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2022 For the stylish teetotaler: Three Spirit, a line of non-alcoholic spirits made with functional plants, has been known to save the day—and maybe the morning after, too. Aleksandra Crapanzano, Bon Appétit, 22 Nov. 2021 Many barmen moved across the Atlantic, but Henry Ramos, already practically a teetotaler himself, didn’t fight it and closed up shop for good. Jason O'bryan, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2021 On a surface level, the political atmospherics of legal weed have the potential to harm Republicans in 2022, including DeWine, a traditional Republican with a reputation as a teetotaler, who’s running for re-election next year. Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 13 Aug. 2021 Ambani is a strict vegetarian, teetotaler and an avid fan of Bollywood movies. Cnn Editorial Research, CNN, 23 July 2021 But from 1972 to 1996, with a couple of four-year furloughs to stoke up his improbable comebacks, Mr. Edwards was the undisputed king of Baton Rouge, a Scripture-quoting, nonsmoking teetotaler who once considered life as a preacher.New York Times, 12 July 2021 See More