In fact, hiccups are a really good comparison. I’d say everyone has had or will have hiccups at least once in their normal lifespan. For some people they may even get stuck with them for an extended time to the point one seeks medical intervention.

But they are adaptation from an amphibian ancestor of ours that needed them to be able to transition from breathing in water to breathing on land. We don’t benefit from them anymore, but they don’t negatively impact reproductive fitness so they stick around. (See: Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin)