Where does 'Hair Of The Dog' originate?

Answer 1

The origin of the phrase is unclear, but instances of the phrase have appeared in English literature since the time of Shakespeare. E. Cobham Brewer writes in the Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898): "In Scotland it is a popular belief that a few hairs of the dog that bit you applied to the wound will prevent evil consequences. Applied to drinks, it means, if overnight you have indulged too freely, take a glass of the same wine next morning to soothe the nerves. 'If this dog do you bite, soon as out of your bed, take a hair of the tail in the morning.'" He also cites two apocryphal poems containing the phrase, one of which is attributed to Aristophanes. It is not known whether the idea of like curing like, or the practice (which may have other psychological causes) came first. Certainly it is possible that the phrase was used to justify an existing practice. It is also possible that the modern use of the phrase arose as a metaphor for that idea and did not have a former basis in practice.

The phrase is also used in a more general context to mean "a little dose of something which caused your problems in the first place," can be used to cure the problem. The phrase may have some roots in the Latin phrase "Similia similibus curantur".

Answer 2

The 'hair of the dog' is part of a longer expression - 'the hair of the dog that bit you'. This goes back to the old belief that the hair of a dog that bites someone could be used as an antidote against the bad effects of the bite. By extension, another drink or two after a drinking binge would be the cure for a hangover.

Answer 3

From the Romans. It was thought to be bad luck to be bitten by a dog and the only way to counter forth coming misfortune was to pluck a hair from the beast that bit you. Also, can be used in "F**k I had a rough night last night. I'm off down the pub for hair of the dog".

Answer 4

It also comes from Nazareth's 1975 album "Hair Of The Dog" and the track named the same way.

But that's a lot of time after the expression that was described above was used for first time.

Answer 5

It comes from when we had rabies in this country. People used to believe that if you take hair from the dog that bit you and brew it up and drink it that you would be cured. Hence the saying, what makes you bad makes you better and hair of the dog.

Answer 6

It was shortened from "have a bit of the hair of the dog that bit you last night", meaning if you have a hangover, have another drink of the same thing you were drinking the night before.

Answer 7

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Good luck.

Kevin, Liverpool, England.

Answer 8

dunno, but i wish i had one