What does the expression “He went white ribbon when I was ten” mean

american-englishslang

I just watched the movie 'Nightmare Alley' and, in one of the scenes, the main character when describing his childhood with an alcoholic father says:

He went white ribbon when I was ten.

What does this mean? What does going 'white ribbon' mean? I've never heard this expression before.

Best Answer

I chanced to find a link to the script.
Script of Nightmare Alley

Did your father drink?
STAN: He went White Ribbon when I was ten.
LILITH: And before?
He squirms ever so slightly.
STAN: Clearly, before, he did. If you knew what White Ribbon meant.

The words "White Ribbon" are repeated twice, capitalized both times.

By searching for "White Ribbon", I found that it is (among other things) the symbol of WCTU, Women's Christian Temperance Union.
Wikipedia

The White Ribbon has been the badge of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union founded by Frances Willard since its founding in 1873.

Wikipedia Temperance Movemnent

The Temperance movement in the United States is a movement to curb the consumption of alcohol.

Maybe the passage means that the father had quit drinking.

Related Topic