Designated driver


Someone who agrees not to drink alcohol at a social event in order to be sober enough to drive others home.

It really wasn’t my turn to be designated driver this week but I was late arriving and by the time I got there all the others were already drunk.

USA, 1980s

Worldwide.

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.