The word 'belly'

[eighteentwentytwo]

I'm a southerner in the north and I'm wondering if 'belly' has the same awful connotations that it has where I came from.

My son is using it all the time and I hate it! I would prefer he said 'tummy'. AIBU?

I suspect the enormous connotations arise out of extreme social insecurity. If she, living with her hubby on, say, an 'executive' new-build estate in the Midlands were the sort of person who said 'belly', where would it end? What next, couch instead of sofa, serviette for napkin? In no time, she'd be shunned by her neighbours, driven out, to live in the problem estate with all the other lower orders.

This is the same as me. I knew exactly what you meant OP but can’t explain it. The word “belly” just gives me the ick.

also in my head you couldn’t have a belly if it was flat. It’s not the same as abdomen. A belly is sticking out (beer belly etc).

I use “tummy” when talking to children and would probably say “tummy button” although might say “belly button” in that context.

I got told off in primary school for saying I had a belly ache, my teacher must have been an MNetter as she told me I should say tummy instead. Twat.

The French can be awful to ppl who don't speak the language well. Whilst ventre is correct for abdomen/tummy, I'm really shocked that the A&E staff acted like that, though; I had a few interactions with the French healthcare system before I became fluent, and they were all really kind and patient with me.

It's one of those words I just can't stand. I'll say it in reference to pork but as I never cook it it almost never comes up in conversation.

I've never really had a problem with the word belly.

If you feel that strongly though you could ask your son not to use it and try to replace it with a different word.

I don't really see the issue personally but we all have our quirks!!

YANBU. Belly is awful common slang.

It isn't though. It's used in literature and in plenty of perfectly acceptable phrases. It's used in Shakespeare fgs!

I don't like to hear an adult say either "belly" or "tummy" unless they're speaking to a child. It's just because I think it sounds childish though, I don't know of any weird connotations with either word.

An adult saying Tummy always sounds immature to me 😂Belly is just normal where I’m from (North)

Some posters have suggested that belly doesn’t mean the same as tummy. The Oxford dictionary states they are synonyms, both referring the the area of the body where the stomach and abdomen are.
They are certainly used to mean the same thing in common usage.

As is tummy but people seem to be equally bothered by that word too.

I'm really confused? I'm from the south and say belly... for my belly? What does it actually mean????

I don't think belly is a terrible word, or rude, or anything. It's just not a word that I learned growing up, and my mum never used it - maybe she thought it was rude. In fact, bizarrely, I remember at the age of about 5 thinking that 'belly' was another word for 'bum'.

Belly just isn't in everyday use in my idiolect to mean an anatomical part of the body, unless I'm joking about having a bloated belly or using a common phrase like 'belly button' or 'belly dancing'. In my world, you can't really have a flat belly, as that seems a contradiction.

I'm a southerner. Belly is fine.

Has OP confused Belly for Bellend?! I'm at a loss here

I hate it - it sounds fat and wobbly. I will allow it in ‘belly dancer’ though - they’re supposed to have wobbly B-words.
The word I use is stomach - or tummy if talking to little kids.

I wouldn’t call it a slang word though - IIRC it’s in the Bible.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Wow, OP, thanks for the most annoying post ever. Don’t sneer at something then disappear without explanation. Posts about what word irritates some people and not others are a regular occurrence but most people at least attempt to back it up!

Maybe she left out of buttock-clenching embarrassment.

I hate this word - absolutely loathe it.

Not here to make moral or linguistic judgments - just to express my opinion!
It makes me cringe/gag each time I hear it. I think it must have horrible connotations for me for some reason, evoking images of beer bellies, morbid obesity, Sir John Falstaff bursting out of his doublet, farting, shirt buttons straining etc etc. It also rhymes with jelly and smelly which somehow seem linked to it in my subconscious. To me, a belly could never be a thing of beauty.

I HATE the term 'pregnancy belly'. Although tummy can be twee (depending on the context - it's fine for children) I find it less repellent than belly any day of the week.

What most people refer to as their tummy/belly is the abdomen. Stomach isn't right because that's a bit further up - it's not the rotund protuberance we call the ....arrrggghhh 'belly'. Blleeaacchhh...

We weren't allowed to say 'belly' growing up, rather 'tummy' or stomach' as it was perceived to be vulgar. I don't mind it now but don't really have a use for it - usually just use 'stomach'.

Belly common? Since when? Goodness me.

'Awful connotations' is a bit extreme, but yeah I agree it's a horrible word.

I think unless you have a six pack or maybe if you have a concave abdomen between your hip bones then it's a belly, be it big or small.

I absolutely agree with you OP.

I find it crass and uncouth. I use stomach.