(むか)(ざけ)

むかえざけ
noun
hair of the dog; drinking alcohol to cure a hangover
1. hair of the dog; drinking alcohol to cure a hangover
hair of the dog; drinking alcohol to cure a hangover
二日酔(ふつかよ)いに(むか)(ざけ)をする。
To have hair of the dog for a hangover.
(むか)(ざけ)(からだ)()くないと医者(いしゃ)()われた。
The doctor told me that drinking to cure a hangover is bad for you.
(あたま)(いた)いからと()って(むか)(ざけ)()()すのは逆効果(ぎゃくこうか)だ。
Reaching for hair of the dog just because you have a headache is counterproductive.

The practice of drinking more alcohol to relieve a hangover. The name literally means "welcoming sake" — the idea being that you greet the hangover with more drink. This folk remedy is widely known in Japan but generally considered medically inadvisable.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • (むか)(ざけ)をする: to have hair of the dog
  • (むか)(ざけ)()()す: to reach for hair of the dog

CULTURAL NOTE:
The concept is similar to the English expression "hair of the dog that bit you." In Japan's drinking culture, where ()(かい) (drinking parties) are common, hangovers and their folk remedies are a familiar topic of conversation.