Chateau Migraine
- noun
- /ʃæˈtoʊ mɪˈɡreɪn/
- Archaic
- I woke up with a terrible Chateau Migraine after last night's party.
Examples
-
The party was fun, but my Chateau Migraine the day after was not worth it.
-
He joked that the wine was so bad it would guarantee a full-blown Chateau Migraine by morning.
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After three glasses of cheap wine, I woke up with a Chateau Migraine the next morning.
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After that last round of shots, I definitely have a Chateau Migraine.
-
After three glasses of cheap wine, I woke up with a Chateau Migraine the next morning.
-
He joked that the wine was so bad it would guarantee a full-blown Chateau Migraine by morning.
-
The party was fun, but my Chateau Migraine the day after was not worth it.
Synonyms
A very bad headache that often affects one side and makes light or sound painful
A feeling of sickness after drinking alcohol, often with headache and nausea
A severe headache that often makes you feel sick and unable to concentrate
A hangover after drinking too much beer
A mild illness or hangover after drinking many mixed drinks
How Severe
Surface Forms
Morphology
The component 'migraine' clearly signals a severe headache, so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely infer that the phrase refers to some kind of headache. However, the modifier 'chateau' is a humorous, culture-dependent play (associating a French grand house with wine/partying) and does not transparently indicate a hangover or alcohol cause, so the full idiomatic nuance is not predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Chateau Migraine is a joking phrase that mixes Chateau (a French word for a wine house) and migraine (a very bad headache). It paints the picture of a fancy wine 'chateau' that gives you a terrible 'hangover', so the phrase means a very bad 'headache' or 'hangover' after drinking.