Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fall off the wagon

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.87 in modern English

Syllables: fal-l of-f the wag-on
IPA

31

Scrabble Score

15

Letters

4

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To cease or fail at a regimen of self-improvement or reform; to lapse back into an old habit or addiction.

Example Sentences

"Though he fell off the wagon several times, he eventually succeeded in quitting."
"In 2006, he checked himself into the Hazelden center in Springbrook, Ore., to be treated for an addiction to alcohol, having fallen off the wagon after some 20 years of sobriety."
"After nearly 17 years of sobriety, Zevon fell off the wagon hard when he was diagnosed."

Etymology

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.”

Inflected Forms

falls off the wagon (present, singular) falling off the wagon (participle, present) fell off the wagon (past) fallen off the wagon (participle, past)

Phrases

off the wagon on the wagon

Frequently Paired Words

off the wagon on the wagon

Synonyms

relapse

Questions

What does fall off the wagon mean?: To cease or fail at a regimen of self-improvement or reform; to lapse back into an old habit or addiction.
Where does fall off the wagon come 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.”

How to pronounce fall off the wagon

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