off the wagon
Meaning
To relapse into an addiction, especially alcoholism, after a period of sobriety.
Origin
During the fervent temperance movements of the 19th century, a powerful symbol emerged for those committing to sobriety: the water wagon. Imagine grand parades where dedicated individuals, having renounced alcohol, would proudly ride on these wagons, or simply declare themselves "on the water wagon," signifying their public pledge to drink only water. It was a visible, communal act of commitment. Thus, to tumble "off the wagon" became the vivid and immediate metaphor for abandoning that pledge and returning to the consumption of alcohol, a stark image of falling from grace and breaking one's promise of abstinence.
Examples
- After three months sober, he went off the wagon during a particularly stressful week.
- She worried that seeing her old drinking buddies might make her go off the wagon.