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pepper-upper

or pep·per up·per

[pep-er-uhp-er]
noun Informal.
  1. something, as a food, beverage, or pill, that provides a quick but temporary period of energy and alertness.
  2. something added to food to relieve blandness.
  3. an experience that increases enthusiasm or zeal, as a pep talk.
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Origin of pepper-upper

1935–40; pep up + -er1, suffixed pleonastically to both v. and particle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018