d.t.'s

The d.t.'s is slang shorthand for delirium tremens — the severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome that causes shaking, hallucinations, sweating, and in serious cases can be life-threatening. It's the physical reckoning that hits heavy drinkers when they stop suddenly, and the phrase has been in circulation long enough to feel almost casual, despite describing something genuinely dangerous. You'll hear it used both seriously and as dark humour around hangover culture, though the real d.t.'s are no joke.