Teetotal

Originally, this was a colloquial Americanism in the early 19th century using the reduplicative use of the letter t, as in t-total, or perhaps T-total, for emphasis - much in the same way as people sometimes say b-beautiful. In its original American use as an adverb, t-totally, it had nothing to do with alcohol and simply emphasised or intensified the word totally. Its first usage in connection with alcohol is attributed to an Englishman, Richard Turner, in a speech he made in 1833 in Preston, advocating t-total abstinence from alcohol. After his speech, it was reported in print as ‘teetotal’ and thus a new word was born. It is not known if Turner was aware of the American expression, which some maintain was also known in Ireland. If it was a common expression in Ireland then it is likely Richard Turner would have come across it in Lancashire where there were many Irish. Even if Turner was aware of it, he should be credited with its first usage in the context of abstaining from alcohol. In any event, Richard Turner is probably the only man to have a word he supposedly coined featured on his tombstone, which can be found in St Peter’s churchyard, Preston where he was buried in 1846.