Meet 5 Crazy Ways to Stop the Hiccup

Everyone knows a "foolproof" method to cure hiccups, such as startling, holding your breath, drinking water upside down and eating something sweet. Because it is not only here in Brazil that people have recipes to put an end to spasms! According to Sonya Vatomsky of Mental_Floss, there are crazy ways to deal with hiccups around the globe - and historical records of pretty bizarre formulas too - and you can check out (and have fun with) five of them below:

1 - Mentalize something bizarre

In some parts of Ireland, one of the favorite methods to cure hiccups is to imagine a grazing cow. However, it is not about mentoring a normal cow in a green pasture, but a green one over a blue field. How such a view makes the spasms stop is a mystery, but the Irish guarantee it works.

2 - Give a fortune teller

In Russia, when a person begins to sob, it is a sign of someone missing them. Then, to cure the spasms, the subject must speak the name of everyone he knows until the sobs stop - and with that, he discovers who misses him. There is a similar method in Hungary, but spasms mean someone is gossiping about you!

3 - Put something wet on the forehead

In the Philippines, the treatment to stop the hiccups is to cut a square of paper towels, wet it and place it on the forehead. Is the paper towel over? In that case, just use a piece of thread and soak the spit wire - yes ... spit - and stick it to your forehead. Did you get disgusted? In some places in Latin America, the thing is more specific: the line must be red and can be reused in subsequent crises!

4 - Drink "metalized" water

One of the methods used in Norway is to take three sips from a glass containing water and the blade of a knife dipped inside and hold your breath. Do you think it can be a little dangerous? You can try the Finnish method, which consists of using a spoon instead of the knife and includes mixing a little sugar in the water, but you don't need to breathe.

5 - Be questioned

In Japan, one of the formulas used to cure hiccups is to ask unexpected questions to the person suffering the crisis. According to the Japanese, suddenly questioning can have a more effective effect than trying to scare your friend into curbing spasms.

But let's say there's no one around to raise a question ... Another Japanese technique is to say the word daizu (meaning soybeans). Whichever method you choose, in Japanese lands it should be put in place as soon as the spasms begin, as there is a belief that sobbing 100 times in a row means that one will die!

Bonus

The English language has changed a lot over the centuries, so that for you to get an idea, instead of hiccup - a word in use today that means hiccups in English - the Anglo-Saxon word was ælfsogoð / em>, whose literal translation it's "elf hiccup". But don't think the ancient English referred to fantastic creatures like those inhabiting Tolkien's Middle-earth. No ... To them, the elves were demonic and super evil beings, meaning that those who suffered from hiccups had to go through a kind of minixorcism.

One method used in the 10th century was to prepare an ointment made from a variety of herbs, draw a pair of crosses on the forehead, and recite a Bible verse in Latin. But what if the "sobbing" didn't know Latin? In this case, the person had to spit on the right index finger, make a cross in front of the left shoe and say a prayer backwards.

And since we are talking about methods of the past, in the 16th century, the Scots would stop their hiccups by holding their chin with their right hands while singing a religious hymn. The Vikings dealt with the situation by holding their own tongue with a handkerchief and counting to 100 mentally.

And do you, dear reader, know any more curious recipes to cure hiccups to share with us? Be sure to describe the technique in the comments!

***

Mega is competing for the Digital Influencers Award, and you can help us be double champions! Click here to find out how. Enjoy following us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.