fall off the wagon
To cease or fail at a regimen of self-improvement or reform; to lapse back into an old habit or addiction.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He tried to quit sugar but fell off the wagon yesterday.”
“After three months of eating healthy, she fell off the wagon during her vacation and ate only junk food.”
“Despite his firm resolve to maintain a disciplined lifestyle, the stress of the project caused him to fall off the wagon and return to his former habits.”
first recorded 20th c. disputed origin
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.”
- 01
catch a falling knife
To buy a financial instrument whose price is falling rapidly.
- 02
circle the wagons
To prepare to defend against an attack or criticism.
- 03
fall apart
To be emotionally in crisis.
- 04
fall around
To fall over continually, especially through drunkenness, clumsiness, or incompetence.
- 05
fall asleep
To be affected by paresthesia; to go numb.
- 06
fall at the last hurdle
To fail near the end of an activity, a project, etc.
- 07
fall behind
To be late (for a regular event)
- 08
fall between the cracks
To wind up in an unexpected situation which is, inadvertently, invisible to or not handled by whatever process one had hoped to be subject to; to be overlooked.
Last updated August 10, 2026