Definition:
In the 19th century, the American Temperance Union encouraged a pledge of abstinence from intoxicating liquor, as part of the temperance movement. Those who had signed the pledge were asked to use a T with their signature to mean "total abstinence." The T plus the "total" led to those who'd signed the pledge being called T-totallers or teetotallers.
From there, the term came to be used more generally, for anyone who voluntarily committed to abstinence, or simply for a nondrinker.
Also Known As: Abstainer, dry, nondrinker, prohibitionist
Alternate Spellings: t-totaller, teetotaler
Examples:
First Lady Lucy Hayes, wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes, was known as Lemonade Lucy because, as a teetotaller, she did not serve liquor in the White House. Henry Ford required a teetotaller pledge for those he hired in his new auto production industry, to promote better productivity and workplace safety.
Learn more: Temperance Movement and Prohibition Timeline
