In Dutch, one way to cuss at someone is to tell them to “krijg toch de hik!” or “get the hiccups!” But what exactly are ‘the hiccups’? If you think about it, ‘hiccup’ is an onomatopoeic word. That means that hiccups are called hiccups because the sound of the hiccups sounds like ‘hiccups’. During hiccups, your diaphragm contracts spontaneously and involuntarily. This is completely harmless and just a little annoying most of the time. Hiccups are caused by eating too quickly, spicy food, alcohol, smoking, and laughing. However, sometimes hiccups can last longer than two days! Then you have to be careful — you might be suffering from a disease.