He drank a beer as hair of the dog.
hair of the dog
idiomAn alcoholic drink, particularly when taken the morning after to cure a hangover.
Origin
first recorded 12th c.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.
After the party, she woke up with a headache and tried hair of the dog to feel better.
Groaning at the kitchen table, he poured himself whiskey as hair of the dog, convinced it was the only cure for his throbbing hangover.
- 01
bad hair day
A day when things seem to be unmanageable or go wrong.
- 02
barnet
[Cockney slang]hair
- 03
buy a dog and bark oneself
To do something that one has hired someone else to do.
- 04
cat and dog life
An unhappy married life marked by arguments and disagreements.
- 05
curl someone's hair
To frighten, dismay, or excite someone thoroughly.
- 06
dog and cat
A team comprising one male and one female, either working as associates or having one as the second-in-command to the other.
- 07
dog and pony show
Any presentation or display that is overly contrived or intricate, while lacking real substance.
- 08
dog around
To follow diligently.