#9: Katzenjammer

Definition:

: the nausea, headache, and debility that often follow dissipation or drunkenness

Example:

"And then he woke up, and oh! SUCH a Katzenjammer." – Geyer's Stationer: Devoted to the Interests of the Stationery and Kindred Trades, 1909.

About the Word:

Katzenjammer has been seen in print in English since at least 1834, when the word appeared in an article on German dueling. A direct translation of the word would be 'the cat’s misery.'

Although cats are not known to be habitual drunkards, the word entered our language with all the malignant brio of a magnificent hangover. By the early 20th century the word was familiar to many from the title of a popular cartoon about impish children, The Katzenjammer Kids.