Moss-Covered Three-Handled Family Credenza

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.

When the Cat in the Hat was referring to his Moss-Covered Three-Handled Family Credenza, he was indeed talking about hepititis C.

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