Thread

1. gadders · 1790614233 · focus · HN ↗

   When did "sober" take over from "teetotal" for someone who will long-term abstain from alcohol?

   I'm sober right now but won't be tonight when I have a couple of glasses of wine in front of the TV.

   1. AdamH12113 · 1790615098 · focus · HN ↗

      "Sober" is commonly used by recovering/recovered alcoholics to mean they are no longer drinking. It implies that they were drinking too much, to the point where intoxication was a semi-permanent state. I've heard the word used this way for decades and I'm pretty sure it goes back farther.

      1. cf100clunk · 1790615907 · focus · HN ↗

         Twelve-step groups have been using ''sober'' and ''sobriety'' for almost 100 years. In this day and age its surprising to see some confusion about what those terms can mean.

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