h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So how would you describe me? I'm sick of having to use that sentence and non-alcoholic makes me sound like a soft drink and I may be soft but I'm no drink

Coffeetotaler..

Don't drink coffee. my best friend came up with one - awkward pain in the ar*e

besides the obvious, nonalcholer, what about softdrinker, or sorryijustdon'tdrinkalcohl,butdolikewhatchingtherestofyou,doingsillythings-a-her

Shoorly the politically-correct term would be foolishdrunkenactedly-impaired?

RF

Sounds like you would be better off describing yourself by what you drink, rather than by what you don't - it would be quicker.

sprout

RF, I like your suggestion very much - might start using it

(takes bow)

Ithangyow! Glad to be of service.

RF<evilgrin

Pink-livered?



az

The liver is *evil* and must be *punished*!

RF

I agree with sprout, you shouln't have to say you're a teetotaler. I don't tell people I'm a nontomatoer.

I know I shouldn't have to but I do, it's like I shouldn't have to tell people that I'm gay, it's not as if heterosexuals have to announce it. This world is really full of double standards, little ones like these don't really bother me anymore

Why do you have to explain the fact that you don't drink alcohol anyhow? If someone offers you a beer can't you just say 'no thanks, I'd prefer an orange juice' (or whatever).

Though you have brought up a good point that there is no decent word for someone who doesn't drink alcohol.

For example, if a vegetarian is offered a slab of meat they can simply say, 'no thanks, I'm a vegetarian'.

But there really isn't a good word for someone who doesn't drink alcohol, is there? Teetotal sounds too grandmothery somehow. And as you say, you don't even drink tea. So your only option is to say 'no thanks I don't drink alcohol'. And then have people look at you like you've just sprouted four green heads. Mostly because they might think this is a statement about their own beer-guzzling habits.

We definitely need a new word for this.

az

It's especially bad when you're a student because if I say I don't drink alcohol people think there's some big dramatic reason (which there sort of is but I don't like to go into it, especially with people I've only just met) or that I'm a Mormon.

Well, other Canadians might correct me (and I'm sure they will if I am wrong! ) but when I first moved to England I found it odd that people would ask me - would you like a drink?

If you say that in Canada that is presumed to mean - would you like an alcoholic beverage? Otherwise Canadians would say - would you like something to drink?

Also, it was assumed that if you said to anyone in Canada 'I don't drink' this automatically meant you didn't drink alcohol, not that you never drank anything at all.

So perhaps it is simpler to just say 'I don't drink' but this may mean something altogether different in the UK. I suspect it would.

az

"I dont drink" in the UK would mean "I dont drink alcohol" however "Would you like a drink?" need not necessarily mean an alcoholic one.