If you’ve woken up on New Year’s Day feeling as if you’d been hit by a truck, you may have sought a hangover remedy with an infamously odd name: the hair of the dog. Let’s take a look at where this name comes from.
What does hair of the dog mean?
A morning drink may be the last thing you want after a night of boozing, but that’s exactly what this quirky English expression means. Originally, the expression referred to a method of treating a rabid dog bite; hair from the dog was placed in the wound. So in that sense, having another drink (any drink) is like taking hair from the dog that bit you.
(By the way, medical professionals do not prescribe alcoholic drinks to treat the symptoms of a hangover. However, they do encourage drinking water and getting rest.)
What does the name Bloody Mary mean?
Many suffering from the morning-after blues indulge in a Bloody Mary as a hangover cure. This savory cocktail contains vodka, tomato juice, and other flavorings such as horseradish, celery salt, lemon juice, and Tabasco sauce.
There are as many versions of the Bloody Mary as there are theories regarding who the drink is named after, with beliefs ranging from Queen Mary I, to the actress Mary Pickford, to a waitress in Chicago who worked at a bar called the Bucket of Blood.
One cure for the hangover with a 100% success rate? Drink soda instead of alcohol the night before.
If you find yourself nursing a Bloody Mary, perhaps one of the many words for drunkard might be fitting. Read on to find out!
By the way, what is “soft” about soft drinks? And is there sodium in soda? Find out here.
