That phlegm in the back of your throat: Hock it or not

You know when you’re just getting over a sickness and you’ve got that stuff at the back of your throat that you can feel moving when you breathe or swallow (and it’s kind of painful). It feels pretty good to finally get rid of that stuff (although the process is painful).

Should one get rid of it? Is it like a protective layer over the raw back of your throat that should stay?

ahem and is it harmful to swallow it?


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Get some good cough syrup, that will promote drainage and also contains an exporant.

It contains infective agents. If it is draining into you stomach it will be dealt with there. Otherwise let the cough syrup assist in getting it out of your system. Soothing cough drops can allso be helpful.

To truly hock a loogie, one must not retrieve the phlegm from the throat, but from the soul.

Ahh, my first venture into GQ. IANAM, but… (I am not a Mucologist)

I always hock, myself, whenever possible, figuring that’s where all the dead bacteria the white cells have killed are. If the throat needs more phlegm, it will make it, I’m sure. I remember my doctor telling me it wasn’t the best idea to swallow phlegm, it didn’t really belong in the digestive tract. They can tell by your blood tests if you’ve been swallowing too much mucous.

Defines “Hawk”
hawk3 ( P ) Pronunciation Key (hôk)
v. hawked, hawk·ing, hawks
v. intr.
To clear or attempt to clear the throat by or as if by coughing up phlegm.

9 Entrys Unrelated to OP

What is going on. Is “hock” a misspelling," a misspronounciation, or what?

Hm. I’ve always seen it spelled, “hock.”

Yep, you can indeed Hock phlegm, but if you don’t redeem the ticket within 30 days, the Pawnshop owner is likely to sell it.

Thinking this is a Monkey Island reference, but can’t recall…