katzenjammer

American  

[kat-suhn-jam-er] / ˈkæt sənˌdʒæm ər /

noun

1. the discomfort and illness experienced as the aftereffects of excessive drinking; hangover.

2. uneasiness; anguish; distress.

3. uproar; clamor.

   His speech produced a public katzenjammer.

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katzenjammer British  

/ ˈkætsənˌdʒæmə /

noun

1. a confused uproar

2. a hangover

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Etymology

Origin of katzenjammer

From German: “hangover,” literally, “wailing of cats,” equivalent to Katzen (plural of Katze cat ( def. ) ) + Jammer “discomfort,” Old High German jāmar (noun and adjective) “misery; sad”; yammer; katzenjammer def. 1 was first recorded in 1840–50; and katzenjammer defs. 2 and katzenjammer 3 in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

"You do everything, in short, that contributes to a magnificent case of physical, emotional, financial and spiritual katzenjammer."

From Time Magazine Archive

But the katzenjammer I've got don't spell violets.

From The Voice of the City: Further Stories of the Four Million by Henry, O.

Every one can stand his fifteen glasses … I suppose I am an ass, and perhaps it's only moral katzenjammer on account of this past week.

From The Indian Lily and Other Stories by Lewisohn, Ludwig

They were good-natured enough while the girls were about, but over their work and during their leisure, they developed what Honey described as every kind of blue-bean, sourball, katzenjammer and grouch.

From Angel Island by Gillmore, Inez Haynes

Should he find a man suffering with katzenjammer he would pronounce him a "suspect."

From Brann the Iconoclast — Volume 10 by Brann, William Cowper