different between abstinence vs wowser

English

Alternative forms

• abstinency

Etymology

From Middle English abstinence, from Old French abstinence, from Latin abstinentia, from abstin?ns, present participle of abstine? (“I withhold”). Equivalent to abstain +? -ence.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?æb.st?.n?ns/

Noun

abstinence (countable and uncountable, plural abstinences)

1. The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite. [First attested around 1150 to 1350.]
   • 1665, John Dryden, The Indian Emperour

     Penance, fasts, and abstinence, / To punish bodies for the soul's offense.

   Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation. (Can we date this quote by Augustine of Hippo and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)St Augustine

   1. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from intoxicating/alcoholic beverages; total abstinence; teetotalism). [First attested around 1150 to 1350.]
   2. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from sexual intercourse, either permanently or until marriage. [First attested around 1150 to 1350.]
   3. (ecclesiastical) Abstention from certain foods on days of penitential observance. [First attested around 1150 to 1350.]
2. The practice of self-denial; self-restraint; forebearance from anything. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
3. (obsolete) Self-denial; abstaining; or forebearance of anything. [First attested around 1150 to 1350.]
4. (business) Delay of spending to accrue capital.

Translations

See also

• abstention
• continence
• asexual

References

• abstinence in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

French

Etymology

From Middle French abstinence, from Old French abstinence, borrowed from Latin abstinentia.

Pronunciation

Noun

abstinence f (plural abstinences)

1. abstinence (act or practice of abstaining)
2. abstinence (specifically act or practice of abstaining from alcohol)
3. abstinence (specifically act or practice of abstaining from sexual relations)

Related terms

• abstinent
• abstenir
• abstention

Further reading

• “abstinence” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French abstinence.

Noun

abstinence f (plural abstinences)

1. abstinence (act or practice of abstaining)

Descendants

• French: abstinence

Old French

Alternative forms

• abstinance, astenance, astinence, austinance, austinence

Etymology

From Latin abstinentia; later modified to bring it in line with the Latin etymon.

Noun

abstinence f (oblique plural abstinences, nominative singular abstinence, nominative plural abstinences)

1. abstinence (act or practice of abstaining)

Descendants

• Middle English: abstinence
  • English: abstinence
• Middle French: abstinence
  • French: abstinence

English

Etymology 1

From UK dialect. In the pro-temperance sense, Australian from early 1900s.

John Norton, an early enemy of wowsers (temperance sense), claimed it to be an acronym for "We Only Want Social Evils Remedied", but that is likely a folk etymology.

A story has it that gospellers in the streets of Clunes, Victoria in the 1870s were called rousers but one of the town councillors had a speech impediment and couldn't pronounce his "R"s, thus giving wowser. (Reference: Bill Wannan, Australian Folklore, Lansdowne Press, 1970, reprint 1979 ?ISBN, under "Wowser", page 568.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?wa?z?(?)/
• Rhymes: -a?z?(?)

Noun

wowser (plural wowsers)

1. (obsolete) A lout or similar disruptive person.
2. (Australia, New Zealand, derogatory) One with strong moral views against excessive consumption of alcohol, gambling, pornography, etc., who seeks to promulgate those views.
   • 1950, Neville Shute, A Town Like Alice, London: The Reprint Society, 1952, Chapter 9, p. 259,^[1]

     “I’d like to come with you one day up to the top end,” she said. “I suppose it’ll have to be after we’re married.”

     He grinned. “Plenty of wowsers back in Willstown to talk about it, if you came before.”

   • 1996, Janette Turner Hospital, Oyster, Virago Press, paperback edition, page 65

     As for the rest, the pay is not bad, coming as it does from the pockets of the three local warlords who hired me: two graziers, one of whom is also a terrible wowser (everyone calls him 'Mr Prophet', though I call him - privately, of course - Mr Brimstone, or Old Blood-and-Thunderguts); the third is the owner of the pub.

   • 1999, Anna E. Blainey, The prohibition and total abstinence movement in Australia, 1880 - 1910, Robert Dare (editor), Food, Power and Community, page 142,

     When they have paid attention to temperance advocates they have tended to dismiss them as ‘wowsers’ or ‘puritans’ intent on suppressing pleasure.

   • 2010, Robert Cettl, Offensive to a Reasonable Adult: Film Censorship and Classification in 'Secular' Australia, page 43,

     Quite simply, to a wowser, adults should not be allowed to see, hear and read as they wished, but should only be allowed to see hear and read that which fully conforms to Australia's Christian heritage […] .

Synonyms

• (one who promotes abstinence, etc.): killjoy, moral crusader, party pooper, prude, spoilsport

See also

• straight edge

Related terms

• wowserism

Etymology 2

From wow, with the "-ser" added to provide emphasis

Noun

wowser (plural wowsers)

1. Alternative form of wowzer

Interjection

wowser

1. Alternative form of wowsers

References

• Australian National Dictionary Centre: Home » Australian words » Meanings and origins of Australian words and idioms » W