fall off the wagon

Etymology
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 ; for instance, (1874 – ), the superintendent of the, 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.”

Verb

 * 1)  To cease or fail at a regimen of self-improvement or reform; to lapse back into an old habit or addiction.
 * Though he fell off the wagon several times, he eventually succeeded in quitting.

Translations

 * Danish: falde af vandvognen
 * French:
 * Hungarian: visszaesik/elcsábul, és újra iszik/inni kezd/italhoz nyúl
 * Russian: ,
 * Spanish: