Olga_L
origin of the word teetotaller Can anybody tell me what the origin of the word teetotaller is? How do you pronounce it? (I found different variants in different dictionaries so I'm a little confused). Is it a common word? Does it have any connotations (like ironical, maybe)? Thanks in advance. OlgaDeep Blue, could you give me another example or two of using "tee" as an emphaciser? Sounds like a very interesting version!...I mean - an emphatic part
May 31, 2010 1:21 PM
Answers · 3
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According to the Word Detective: There is general agreement that the first use of "teetotal" in reference to abstention from alcohol was in a speech to an English temperance society by a man named Richard Turner in 1833. Whereas some of his contemporaries drew a moral distinction between beer and hard liquor, Turner urged his listeners to abstain totally from all alcohol. Contrary to popular legend, there is no evidence that Turner recommended "tea" as an alternative to alcohol, or that his listeners were urged to mark the letter "T" for "Total Abstinence" on their pledge cards at the meeting. The "tee" tacked onto the front of "total" was just a common way, at that time, of giving extra emphasis to a word, a process linguists call "reduplication." (And yes, the term "reduplication" has always struck me as weirdly redundant.) The use of "teetotal" to mean "absolutely, totally" is well-documented in other, non-alcoholic writings of the day.
May 31, 2010
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Teetotaller is a person that does not drink any alcoholic beverages,,,, Origin: The first person to us Teetotaller was Richard Turner a worker in Preston, in a speech (1833) urging total abstinence from all alcohol.. Oxford Concise Dictionary
May 31, 2010
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teetotaller - a total abstainer Synonyms: teetotaler, teetotalist Related Words: abstinent, abstainer - a person who refrains from drinking intoxicating beverages tee·to·tal·er or tee·to·tal·ler (tttl-r) also tee·to·tal·ist (-st) n. One who abstains completely from alcoholic beverages. tee·total·ism n. for more informations, and how to pronunce it http://www.thefreedictionary.com/teetotallers
May 31, 2010
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