Hiccups, or hiccoughs as it was once spelt, is an annoying condition, especially if you are at a social occasion or in a business meeting.

It is caused when the band of muscle below the ribs, the diaphragm, contracts suddenly in a spasm.

Here’s a sideways cure that requires nothing but a glass of water and a drinking straw.

1. Put one-third of a pint of water in a glass, together with the straw.
2. Press the tips of your index fingers into the hollows behind the earlobes where the neck meets the jawbone.
3. Keep the pressure on while drinking as much of the water as you can through the straw.
4. It is claimed that when the glass is empty the hiccups will be gone.