How Do You Cure The Hiccups?

I don't get the hiccups very often, maybe once or twice a year. When I do get the hiccups, however, it's usually because I've had too much alcohol. In which case, they're an indicator that I'm going to have a pretty brutal hangover the next day. It's my annual reminder that getting sloshed is never as fun as I think it's going to be.

It seems that hiccups are a pretty common occurrence for other people, though. We had an internal conversation about them among The Takeout staff, and everyone seems to have their own remedy. Editor in chief Marnie Shure said that a spoonful of peanut butter does the trick, while newest staff member Angela Pagán says that being scared works for her.

"Someone has to give you a jump scare basically," Angela explained. I could see plenty of things going wrong in that scenario, but maybe that's just me. I'm sure a bunch of involuntary (and voluntary) shouting would be involved.

Hiccups happen when your diaphragm contracts involuntarily, which can be caused by various factors like a big-ass meal, carbonated drinks, or the aforementioned booze, according to Mayo Clinic. They typically don't last very long, but Mayo Clinic does mention that if you hit the 48-hour mark (yikes), you'll want to get checked out. Since I'm 5 years old, I think uncontrollable noises are pretty funny. But hiccups drive my fiancée bonkers when she gets them, because when they happen, they stick around for way longer than she likes.

I've heard a lot of homemade remedies that sound dubious. Does drinking water really help? Holding my breath never seems to work. Reader's Digest Canada has some weird suggestions like eating something sweet, swallowing something sour, or sipping on hot sauce (seriously?). The article also suggested honey, chocolate, and dill for some reason. So, what works for you? Do you have any tried-and-true methods of getting rid of hiccups that we can trust more than the pages of Reader's Digest?