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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

hair of the dog en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Etymology

Ellipsis of hair of the dog that bit one, a folk remedy for rabies by placing hair from the dog that bites one into the wound. The use of the phrase as a metaphor for a hangover treatment dates at least to the 16ᵗʰ century. The principle of “curing like with like” has existed in various cultures historically; see hair of the dog at Wikipedia for details; the use of the phrase “hair of the dog” for a hangover cure dates to antiquity, an early form being found in the Ugaritic text KTU 1.1114 line 29, where the chief god of the pantheon, i/el, takes some for his health. The usage is in turn a borrowing from Akkadian.A Primer on Ugaritic, p. 121. Cambridge University Press, 2007. →ISBN.

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic, uncountable) An alcoholic drink, particularly when taken the morning after to cure a hangover.
    • But with the morning cool repentance came. I felt, in the keenest manner, the violence and absurdity of my conduct, and was obliged to confess that wine and passion had lowered my intellects. . . . I descended to the breakfast hall, like a criminal to receive sentence. . . . [H]e poured out a large bumper of brandy, exhorting me to swallow "a hair of the dog that had bit me." 1818, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 12, in Rob Roy:
    • The good times are killing me / Enough hair of the dog to make myself an entire rug 2004, Modest Mouse, “The Good Times Are Killing Me”, in Good News for People Who Love Bad News:
    • Ha ha! Put a good face upon it, and drink again. Another hair of the dog that bit you, captain! 1841, Charles Dickens, chapter 52, in Barnaby Rudge:
    • I'll be right back. I just need a little hair of the dog that bit me.
    • Near-synonyms: coffin dodger, corpse reviver, pick-me-up, eye-opener; see also Thesaurus:alcoholic beverage

Relateds

dogfur · dog fur · a man about a dog · doghair · pelt of the dog

Synonyms

potation · nightcap · carouse · bevvy · strong drink · booze · sauce · hard drink · grog · liquor · strong water · potent potable · lush · coffin dodger · fuddling · adult beverage · shot · eye-opener · drink · tipple · tincture · alcohol · pick-me-up · corpse reviver · tiddly · libation

Translations (26)

fi krapularyyppy (curing drink) · fr rallumer la chaudière (curing drink) · ko 해장술 (curing drink) · sv återställare (curing drink) · de Konterschnaps (curing drink) · pl klin (curing drink) · he כוסית התאוששות (curing drink) · fi korjaussarja (curing drink) · cs vyprošťovák (curing drink) · cs spravovák (curing drink) · is afréttari (curing drink) · he כוסית של הבוקר שאחרי (curing drink) · fo javnari (curing drink) · de Konterbier (curing drink) · fi loiventava (curing drink) · da reparationsbajer (curing drink) · ja 迎え酒 (curing drink) · hu gyógysör (curing drink) · de Reparaturseidl (curing drink) · gd leigheas na pòit (curing drink) · nb oppstiver (curing drink) · ru опохме́лка (curing drink) · de Mageneinrenker (curing drink) · cmn 回魂酒 (curing drink) · nn oppstivar (curing drink) · hu kutyaharapást szőrével (curing drink)