PETER SAGAL, HOST:
** Right now, panel, time for you to answer some questions about this week's news. Josh, a new device that costs just $15 promises to finally cure what great scourge on humanity?
JOSH GONDELMAN: Oh, gosh, $15.
SAGAL: Yes, just a plastic doohickey, costs $15.
GONDELMAN: A plastic doohickey 'cause I was going to say, for $15, I can cure, like, kind of the, like, 2 p.m. snackishness (ph) that I need conquered.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: Yes, yes, exactly. I'll give you a hint - like, here. When we all have this, no more trying to drink water from the other side of the glass.
GONDELMAN: It cures hiccups?
SAGAL: Yes, hiccups.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: This device will cure hiccups. The HiccAway - the HiccAway, let's pause to appreciate - is a specially...
AMY DICKINSON: Wait.
SAGAL: ...Designed plastic straw that uses, quote, "forceful suction to stop your hiccups." And preliminary tests indicate it works. Finally, no longer will we have to endure the agonizing previous treatment, just waiting a little while.
GONDELMAN: I'm excited for the HiccAway scientists because while the other scientists were like, oh, we have been working around the clock on vaccines, the HiccAway team is like...
SAGAL: (Laughter).
GONDELMAN: ...Ah (laughter) idiots.
SAGAL: Yes.
GONDELMAN: We are going to be billionaires...
SAGAL: (Laughter).
GONDELMAN: ...'Cause people don't want to go (imitating hiccup) anymore.
BRIAN BABYLON: Wait, do you just carry this thing around for the chance that...
SAGAL: Apparently, yeah.
BABYLON: ...you do get hiccups?
SAGAL: I mean, the idea is you'd have one. I don't know. You'd - maybe you'd carry it in a special sheath strapped to your thigh. And then you sort of suck water with it.
GONDELMAN: I don't think I've had $15 worth of hiccups in my adult life.
SAGAL: Are you - are we that cheap, though? Like, eh.
GONDELMAN: It's not even that cheap.
BABYLON: It's not even cheap.
GONDELMAN: It's just, like, I'm just going to let it ride. I'll be fine in 90 to 120 seconds.
SAGAL: Exactly.
BABYLON: But you know what? Like, I think everyone has that one friend that has cartoonish "Looney Tunes"...
SAGAL: Yes, yes.
BABYLON: ...Hiccups problems.
SAGAL: Exactly.
BABYLON: Like, (imitating cartoonish hiccups).
GONDELMAN: (Laughter).
BABYLON: It's like, are you kidding me?
GONDELMAN: Drink from the other side of the glass - I didn't realize was a hiccup remedy. I thought it was, like, kind of old-timey, like a blowoff, like take a long walk off a short beer.
BABYLON: Yeah.
SAGAL: Hey, you pal...
GONDELMAN: I thought it was that - hey...
BILL KURTIS: (Laughter).
SAGAL: Why don't you go drink from the other side of the glass?
DICKINSON: (Laughter).
GONDELMAN: Why don't you go pour a soda for a cat? Like, that kind of thing.
(LAUGHTER)
DICKINSON: (Laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HICCUPS")
RODDY JACKSON: (Singing) Every time I kiss my baby, I get the hiccups. Well, every time I try to squeeze my baby, I get the hiccups.
SAGAL: Coming up, you don't get to be one of 2015's 11 most livable cities in the world by just sitting around. It's our Pittsburgh-themed Bluff The Listener game. Call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to play. We'll be back in a minute with more of WAIT WAIT... DON'T TELL ME from NPR. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.