friend of Bill W. - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
An allusion to William Griffith Wilson (1895–1971), known as “Bill W.”, one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous.
friend of Bill W. (plural friends of Bill W.)
- (idiomatic, euphemistic) A recovering alcoholic, especially one who is a member of the organization Alcoholics Anonymous.
1994 May 31, “Obituary: Middletown BRIAN EDWARD CRAWFORD”, in Providence Journal, USA, page D10:
He was a friend of Bill W. and had just celebrated Ten Years of Sobriety.
2004, Jack Canfield et al., Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul,[1], →ISBN, page 49:
Most people in recovery know that asking if you are a friend of Bill W. is an anonymous way to identify yourself as a member of AA.
- Because of the stigma attached to alcoholism, and Alcoholics Anonymous' commitment to protecting the identities of its members, the phrase is a furtive shibboleth for individuals to identify themselves as members of Alcoholics Anonymous, or to identify Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on schedules, etc.
- Often used in eulogies and obituaries when the deceased person was a recovering alcoholic.
- “friend of Bill W.”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.