A hiccup can be described as a sharp breath followed by an overlap of the upper airway with the vocal slit. This results in a "hiccup-like" sound. Inhalation is caused by the contraction of a number of muscles belonging to the diaphragm, neck, throat and the wall of our body. And these muscles, in turn, are controlled by nerves coming from the brain stem. Unlike in fish and amphibians, in us these nerves have to travel a longer way, because their brainstem is adjacent to the pharynx and gills...