Slang term for hepatitis. The number of handles indicates the placement of the letter in the alphabet, one-handled for hep A, two-handled for hep B and three-handled for hep C. Term can be traced back to 1910s Detroit. Gained
popularity within the Roaring Twenties jazz scene, then again among GI's in the second world war. A third surge in
popularity during the sex-positive Vietnam years lead to it's controversial usage in Depatie-Freleng's 1972 adaptation of Dr Seuss's literary classic, The Cat
in The Hat. A similar, more blunt reference to hepatitis made it's appearance in the Mike Meyers film based on the story 30 years later, likely channeling the animated adaptation.