Looking to Cure Hiccups

To cure a hiccup
Start by sneaking up
A loud noise to shake up
Drink backward from a cup
Toss a rubber chicken – heads up!
Pet a cat or kiss a pup
Play 52 card pickup
Swallow maple syrup
Sit down fast and stand up
Take a nap and wake up
Or just ride it out until it lets up!

For NPM and the Looking Foolish Scavenger Hunt I give you prompt #10 – hiccup as a monorhyme. How many times have you had hiccups? How many “cures” have you heard of? Ten, twenty, a hundred? Everyone has their favorites. When I was in school several teachers had “cures” that they employed. My 4th grade teacher Mrs. Grady believed in water. She would send you to the drinking fountain to “drown the hiccup”. My 6th grade teacher Mr. Krug would scare the bejesus out of you by nonchalantly walking past your desk and suddenly slamming his hand on the desk. I don’t know if it ever cured hiccups but it certainly put the rest of the class at attention. In 8th grade Mr. Estes, the algebra teacher, had a rubber chicken he would throw at people who weren’t paying attention. He would carry the chicken around as he lectured. To cure hiccups he’d either hurl it at you or slap it over your head. The gym teacher, Ms. Gordon, would make you sit and then stand up – repeatedly until they abated.

I never could understand how any of these cures were helpful. A hiccup is simply a muscle spasm in the diaphragm. It doesn’t usually last very long and will go away on its own. Even if it doesn’t go away quickly there really isn’t much you can do… that is effective!