# "hair of the dog"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-of-the-dog/294857>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 16, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-of-the-dog/294857 "2005-03-16T18:31:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-of-the-dog/294857/1 "2005-03-16T18:31:58Z")

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What’s the origin of the phrase “hair of the dog?” What does it mean? I hear it thrown around from time to time, sometimes as “hair of the dog that bit you.”

Does it have something to do with getting drunk?

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**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-of-the-dog/294857/2 "2005-03-16T18:47:29Z")

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[How can I avoid a holiday hangover?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_230.html)

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**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-of-the-dog/294857/3 "2005-03-16T18:52:38Z")

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From Etymology Online Dictionary:

Phrase hair of the dog that bit you (1546), homeopathic remedy, is in Pliny.

This is the idea that a little bit of the thing that hurt you may help you.