Word of the Week - HICCUP

For a light-hearted touch, I'd like to introduce the inaugural "Word of the Week" blog post. Each Friday starting today, one word will be selected for particular attention.

Today's word - HICCUP.

Pronunciation - hik-up (emphasis on the first syllable)

Alternative spelling - hiccough

Word type - noun

Definition - the short characteristic sound produced when the larynx closes involuntarily after a contraction of the diaphragm.

Word origin - in English use by 1530, preceded by the French word, "hoquet". "Hiccough" originated when used to describe "a drunken man's cough". It is an example of onomatopoeia, the term used to describe the imitation of natural sounds by words.

Sample sentence - During my job interview, I was wracked by an attack of hiccups.

Quirky facts about hiccups:

* the longest known attack of hiccups happened to a man, Charles Osbourne, and lasted for 68 years, beginning in 1922 and inexplicably stopping in 1990
* it's not possible to die from an attack of hiccups
* babies often experience hiccups in the womb, which is quite unnerving for the mother when it first happens

Possible causes:

* eating or drinking too quickly or too much at once
* drinking alcohol
* eating something too hot, too cold or too spicy
* a sudden sneeze, cough or laughter
* becoming over-excited
* lastly, nothing at all

Possible (not guaranteed!) cures:

* holding your breath and raising your arms in the air
* getting a huge fright
* breathing outwards quickly (this is my personal favourite!)
* drinking a glass of water - in particular, the technique of drinking from the opposite side of the glass
* breathing into a paper bag
* saying the alphabet backwards
* eating a mouthful of sugar

Interestingly, many of the cures for hiccups could actually be in the causes list.

Nevertheless, the next time you get hiccups, at least you will be well-equipped for the experience. Hic!

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