ar y wagen

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from English on the wagon, referring to carts used to hose down dusty roads:.[1][2][3] The suggestion is that a person who is “on the wagon” is drinking water rather alcohol.

Prepositional phrase

ar y wagen

  1. (idiomatic) on the wagon, teetotal, renouncing alcohol[4]
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see ar,‎ y,‎ wagen.

Synonyms

References
  1. Michael Quinion (created July 18, 1998, last updated January 27, 2006) “On the wagon”, in World Wide Words.
  2. Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “wagon”, in Online Etymology Dictionary, retrieved 2019-10-08: “Phrase on the wagon "abstaining from alcohol" is attested by 1904, originally on the water cart.”
  3. Robert Hendrickson (1997) The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, rev. and exp. edition, New York, N.Y.: Facts On File, →ISBN
  4. R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “wagen”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
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