Volstead Act
Preserved but no longer current.
A. J. Volstead (1860-1946) was one of the active Congressmen who secured the passing of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the U.S.A. prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors. On October 18th, 1919, he secured the passing of an Act of which he was the author to define the quantity of alcohol which made a particular liquor intoxicating.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Volstead Act” mean?
A. J. Volstead (1860-1946) was one of the active Congressmen who secured the passing of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the U.S.A. prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors. On October 18th, 1919, he secured the passing of an Act of which he was the author to define the quantity of alcohol which made a particular liquor intoxicating.
Is “Volstead Act” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.