English

Noun

friend of Bill W. ‎(plural friends of Bill W.)

1. (idiomatic, euphemistic) A recovering alcoholic, especially one who is a member of the organization Alcoholics Anonymous.
   • 1994 May 31, "Obituary: Middletown BRIAN EDWARD CRAWFORD‎," Providence Journal (USA), p. D10:

     He was a friend of Bill W. and had just celebrated Ten Years of Sobriety.

   • 2003 Feb. 23, Lynne Margolis, "Delbert McClinton rocks the boat for music lovers," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (retrieved July 8, 2011):

     The Sandy Beaches cruise offers Alcoholics Anonymous meetings billed simply as Friends of Bill W.

   • 2004, Jack Canfield et al., Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul, ISBN 9780757302039, p. 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.

Usage notes

• 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.
• Often used in eulogies and obituaries when the deceased person was a recovering alcoholic.

References

• friend of Bill W. at OneLook Dictionary Search