off the wagon

off the wagon
*off the wagon
1. Fig. drinking liquor after a period of abstinence. (*Typically: be \off the wagon; fall \off the wagon; get \off the wagon.) •

Poor John fell off the wagon again. Drunk as a skunk.

•

He was off the wagon for a year the last time before he sobered up.

2. Fig. back on drugs after a period of abstinence. (*Typically: be \off the wagon; fall \off the wagon; get \off the wagon.) •

Wilbur is off the wagon and shooting up again.

•

He can't be off the wagon, because he has never stopped using, even for a day.

* * *
{adj. phr.}, {slang} No longer refusing to drink whiskey or other alcoholic beverages; drinking liquor again, after stopping for a while. * /When a heavy drinker quits he must really quit. One little drink of whiskey is enough to drive him off the wagon./ Contrast: ON THE WAGON.

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • off the wagon — {adj. phr.}, {slang} No longer refusing to drink whiskey or other alcoholic beverages; drinking liquor again, after stopping for a while. * /When a heavy drinker quits he must really quit. One little drink of whiskey is enough to drive him off… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • off the wagon — 1. mod. drinking liquor after a period of abstinence. □ Poor John fell off the wagon again. Drunk as a skunk. □ He was off the wagon for a year the last time before he sobered up. 2. mod. back on drugs after a period of abstinence. □ Max is off… …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • off the wagon — adverb (or adjective) : no longer under pledge or resolution to abstain from alcoholic beverages * * * off the wagon informal phrase drinking alcohol again after not drinking for a period of time Thesaurus: drunksynonym Main entry …   Useful english dictionary

  • off the wagon — adverb No longer maintaining a program of self improvement or abstinence from an undesirable habit, especially drinking alcohol. She kept up her diet for an entire month before falling off the wagon. Ant: on the wagon …   Wiktionary

  • off\ the\ wagon — adj. phr. slang No longer refusing to drink whiskey or other alcoholic beverages; drinking liquor again, after stopping for a while. When a heavy drinker quits he must really quit. One little drink of whiskey is enough to drive him off the wagon …   Словарь американских идиом

  • off the wagon —    habitually drinking alcohol after a period of abstinence    After having been on the wagon:     When a man like that goes off the wagon, he bites dust. (Kersh, 1936) …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • off the wagon — drinking alcohol again, after having stopped. If she falls off the wagon again, she ll just have to pick herself up and try to stop drinking. Usage notes: usually said about someone who has an alcohol problem Opposite of: on the wagon …   New idioms dictionary

  • off the wagon — phrasal in or into a state of no longer abstaining from alcoholic beverages < fell off the wagon > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • off the wagon — drinking again, drunk again    He s off the wagon again. He started drinking last night …   English idioms

  • off the wagon — begin to drink alcohol again after stopping for awhile He seems to be off the wagon again. I saw him yesterday and I am sure that he had been drinking …   Idioms and examples

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