fall off the wagon
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fall off the wagon
Where it comes from
Originally fall off the water wagon or fall off the water cart, referring to carts used to hose down dusty roads: see the 1901 quotation below. The suggestion is that a person who is “on the wagon” is drinking water rather than alcoholic beverages. The term may have been used by the early 20th-century temperance movement in the United States; for instance, William Hamilton Anderson (1874 – c. 1959), the superintendent of the New York Anti-Saloon League, is said to have made the following remark about Prohibition: “Be a good sport about it. No more falling off the water wagon. Uncle Sam will help you keep your pledge.”
verb falls off the wagon · falling off the wagon · fell off the wagon · fallen off the wagon
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To cease or fail at a regimen of self-improvement or reform; to lapse back into an old habit or addiction.
Though he fell off the wagon several times, he eventually succeeded in quitting.
Similar: relapse
Translations
Every language
verb to cease a self-improvement or reform; to lapse back into an addiction
| Español | recaer |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 故态复萌 gù tài fù méng |
| Français | replonger |
| Italiano | ricadere nel vizio |
| Русский | развяза́ть razvjazátʹ, сорва́ться sorvátʹsja |
Talk about this word "fall off the wagon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/fall%20off%20the%20wagon. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. fall off the wagon. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/fall%20off%20the%20wagon "fall off the wagon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/fall%20off%20the%20wagon.Cite this
@misc{fall_off_the_wagon_2026,
title = {fall off the wagon},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/fall%20off%20the%20wagon},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
