Meaning of on the wagon | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Abstaining from drinking any alcoholic drink, usually in the sense of having given it up (as opposed to never having partaken); teetotal.
   idiomatic
2. Maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from some other undesirable habit.
   broadly
3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see on, the, wagon.

Equivalents

Examples

“I wanted to git him some whisky, but he shuck his head. 'I'm on the water-cart,' sez he.”

“"Where did you get⟳ all that money?" / "Went to hear⟳ Bill and climbed on the water wagon."”

“"Sit⟳ down, bo," invited Soup Face⟳. "I guess⟳ you're a regular all right. Here, have⟳ a snifter?" and he pulled a flask from his side pocket, holding it toward The Oskaloosa Kid. / "Thank⟳ you, but;—er—I'm on the wagon, you know⟳," declined the youth.”

“[T]hree years later he began formally to go on the wagon: "I quit⟳ drinking three months ago, hopefully for life."”

“In fact regularly going on the wagon is a sure indication of a serious drink⟳ problem. If they genuinely enjoy⟳ a drink⟳, why would they even want⟳ to go a month without one? Obviously because their drinking was causing them a problem.”

“The Big Brother house guests drank liquor by the crateful. But Love⟳ Island’s tortuous trysts are fuelled by fruit juice and nosecco. Why did reality TV go on the wagon?”

“He’s been on the smoking cessation wagon for two weeks now.”

“This book is about harm⟳ reduction. It is not about "getting clean⟳." […] It is not about an all-or-nothing attitude: drink⟳ or be on the wagon, use⟳ or quit⟳. It is about reducing the harm⟳ done by alcohol and other drugs in your life. Less harm⟳ is the solution.”

“Just because you've had a smoke⟳ doesn't mean⟳ that you need⟳ to become⟳ depressed and give⟳ up on quitting. This is a learning process⟳ and you need⟳ to take⟳ every day as it comes. Simply get⟳ back on the wagon and continue⟳ on with your nonsmoking goals. You can do this!”

CEFR level