tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post3987037584112982197..comments2024-03-16T00:21:43.240+00:00Comments on Separated by a Common Language: belly and tummylynneguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-19446900577009196332023-07-13T12:49:10.478+01:002023-07-13T12:49:10.478+01:00Midsection is not something I’ve ever heard from a...Midsection is not something I’ve ever heard from a doctor. Abdominal pain… more usual. I grew up in NYC and have lived in LA, Washington, London, and Portugal. Even as a kid, I thought of tummy as baby talk and I’m still surprised to hear grownups say it to anyone but children. Growing up, belly was the common word and definitely not vulgar. Everyone had a belly; it wasn’t just people who were overweight because the belly was inside as well as outside. We would have a stomachache or belly pain. We also called this gut pain when we were a little older.<br /><br />I was in Britain before I heard a grown-up talk about a tummy to anybody over the age of five and I had to laugh the first time I heard it. I really thought it was a joke.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-78437030706334592572020-08-20T12:33:25.075+01:002020-08-20T12:33:25.075+01:00BrE (Scot, 60+). Growing up, it was belly and bell...BrE (Scot, 60+). Growing up, it was belly and belly button. Anything else would have been regarded as posh and - dare I say it - English. People of my dad’s generation often understood the correct anatomical terms perfectly well, but would never use them when talking to a doctor, as that would be seen as usurping his professional prerogative. The deference culture was much more obvious back then.<br /> Having recently had major surgery, I found that mist of the “baby talk” came from nurses, who were otherwise very professional, caring and just lovely (male and female alike). Doctors tended to ask a question first, and then gauge their reply by how I responded. I am a professional scientist, and quickly learned the correct terminology, so that’s what the medics used, including the anaesthetists. Until I was just ready to “go under”, when I heard “here comes the sleepy medicine”.Shy-replyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01891566073375322808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-39773188368196584272020-05-27T09:34:44.211+01:002020-05-27T09:34:44.211+01:00'Belly' is a word used by the lower orders...'Belly' is a word used by the lower orders. The middle and upper classes would use 'stomach', or 'tummy' in a fun context. My dog likes having his tummy rubbed, etc.English mannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-17621394930965090152019-06-08T05:56:49.603+01:002019-06-08T05:56:49.603+01:00I'm not sure when it started, but I've alw...I'm not sure when it started, but I've always found TUMMY and BELLY to be cringy, and I always felt embarrassed when they called my stomach one of those, or just used the words at all. But now I'd rather use TUMMY then BELLY or STOMACH idk Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18431521597092354337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-79933545549387819602019-05-07T15:01:57.322+01:002019-05-07T15:01:57.322+01:00Belly is an ugly word. Travelled an enormous amoun...Belly is an ugly word. Travelled an enormous amount growing up and always referred to the usage as stomach or abdomen never "belly". Now as an adult I hear it used quite frequently...why?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01873319495901684805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-60700921278631267542017-09-19T10:36:13.405+01:002017-09-19T10:36:13.405+01:00NavelNavelKraftyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17010628290233971260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-8071550210796328072017-06-25T18:08:22.493+01:002017-06-25T18:08:22.493+01:00So is it abdomen or midsection? As stomach would b...So is it abdomen or midsection? As stomach would be the internal organ, actually, for example a woman shaving her "stomach" hair, refers to the fuzzy, although more or less dark or visible hair growing on the abdomen below the navel (more juvenile - belly button) and more sparsely around it. Some women don't like it so they shave, but of course they don't shave the actual stomach, which is why it's funny, if you think about it, as in italian "hair on the stomach" means also becoming callous and used to injustice or unfairness, often referred to a particular work place environment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-4829110707830699682017-05-25T23:31:07.266+01:002017-05-25T23:31:07.266+01:00My mum always taught me to say "tummy button&...My mum always taught me to say "tummy button" rather than "belly button" as she said that animals had bellies and people had tummies. The inference being, I suppose, that using the word belly suggested the speaker came from an uneducated background. Ironically, or more likely because, we came from working class backgrounds this became the approved way of speaking at home. One wouldn't want to appear course, would one. It had its roots in the fact that Mum came under the unofficial tutelage of a kindly older female co-worker who set about "refining" her broad Yorkshire dialect and manners so that she could be understood and better accepted outside the Moors. Mum also used to correct my pronunciation of words like "flower" [flow-er] which were deemed to be properly pronounced as "flour" [flour] as in hour, ie monosyllabic. I think this is referrred to as upper received pronunciation. Soon lost it, if I ever truly adopted it, when I started work in London but still maintain tummy button over belly button. Guess I'm a bit of a snob underneath it all. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-63654197601811996262017-02-24T13:11:10.577+00:002017-02-24T13:11:10.577+00:00As a child in London in the 40s and 50s I knew tha...As a child in London in the 40s and 50s I knew that 'belly' was vulgar rather than rude - a bit like 'belch': polite people said 'burp'. So I had a tummy and occasional tummy aches. Yet I seem to remember that I had a belly button, although tummy button would have been more consistent. Also I'm sure that, maybe not as a child but certainly before I was twenty, planes sometimes did belly landings when their undercarriages failed, belly dancers danced, people in swimming pools did bellyflops, a good joke could elicit a belly laugh and cargo was stored in the belly of a ship. Go belly up, bellyaching and have a bellyful came somewhat later.<br /><br />Chambers Dictionary supports Lynne's feeling of plumpness, defining 'bellied' as 'bulging, puffed out', and giving 'to belly' as meaning 'to swell or bulge out (often with out)'.<br />KeithDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10451059429340892054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-67456863134351231252017-02-24T12:55:22.494+00:002017-02-24T12:55:22.494+00:00Reminds me of an old "She was only the X'...Reminds me of an old "She was only the X's daughter" joke: She was only the admiral's daughter but her naval base was always full of discharged seamen.KeithDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10451059429340892054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-48345923468879741842016-05-20T19:39:05.269+01:002016-05-20T19:39:05.269+01:00Hey... glad I found this interesting piece. Great...Hey... glad I found this interesting piece. Great work, by the way. I'm British, but currently I live in the Czech Republic teaching English as a foreign language. I like to explain everything in a logical way to my students, and this question has come up in the past. Now I have never thought that one might be BrE & one AE as I have heard and used both in my lifetime. The best way I could think to explain this is that "tummy" is what we use for (incorrectly) stomach (correctly: abdomen) when it would be what is considered "normal", and belly when it is, to be polite, slightly larger than normal. When I thought about the logic behind this, the criteria was based on some of the things you mentioned above. i.e; beer-belly, sayings such as "big belly", the infamous Jimmy five-bellies... Mike Myer's "Fat Bastard" saying "Get in ma belly!"... the word belly seems to be associated with something large & jingly... where as with all small children I've only heard "tummy" used, when ready about men's or women's fitness it is always "tummy"... (how many women's magazines have the slogan "Get the perfect bikini belly in four weeks!", for example? Or "Cindy Crawford shows off her trim belly"?)... there never seems to be the positive adjectives combined with the word "belly". And I have heard English Doctors use the term "tummy" many times, but never "belly".<br /><br />So yeah, I've always split it this way as it seems natural to me, and it's nice to read that someone else has the same understanding for a topic which has never really been explained :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15713309389797019275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-54308919339779948532015-10-09T21:16:54.068+01:002015-10-09T21:16:54.068+01:00I'm a Southern Virginian gal...we say belly, t...I'm a Southern Virginian gal...we say belly, tummy and stomach. Most common is belly..... my kids call me Mom and yet, I grew up saying Momma, and still call her that, even though she's been gone since 1966. Others say mama, further north, they say Mother, which I detest, hence, my daughter calls me this to get my goat. It's a regional slang, for every state in the U. S. My brothers live in North Carolina and Arkansas, and none of us talk alike. My sister lived in Washington state, so she had a completely different dialect, also. <br />But, as Hank, Jr.says.........<br />WE SAY GRACE<br />WE SAY MA'AM<br />IF AIN'T INTO THAT <br />THEN WE DON'T GIVE A DAMN.....<br /> NO OFFENCE TO ANYONE tazzygirl51https://www.blogger.com/profile/02501934749099256902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-62844072895221838462015-03-07T09:33:37.155+00:002015-03-07T09:33:37.155+00:00Pooch? I only know that as a colloquial term for a...Pooch? I only know that as a colloquial term for a (pet) dog.Kate Buntinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17223976536411967222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-50987978633093778912014-02-23T15:40:00.611+00:002014-02-23T15:40:00.611+00:00The stomach is an internal organ whereas you can t...The stomach is an internal organ whereas you can touch your belly or tummy. Belly and tummy are more often used for the diminutive/juvenile/prenatal uses or when one wants to sound cute. Middle, midsection, waistline are used for polite conversation with older ladies/fitness enthusiasts I've noticed. One wouldn't want to offend when speaking of parts we can SEE, would we??!!!! When we are being honest with each other we say we have a paunch, pooch, pot or pot belly, gut, spare tire, cooler (you know, where the six pack goes so it stays cold- in the cooler) (Actually, I am trying to make that one a thing. Feel free to use it ad nauseam.) I live inthe Foothills of SCMiss Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16288351443598611849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-4311190996428290202012-10-17T03:16:45.095+01:002012-10-17T03:16:45.095+01:00American, St Louis MO, Belly mostly here, but tumm...American, St Louis MO, Belly mostly here, but tummy and stomach also. Mindynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-89308917463735343132012-05-19T14:40:56.923+01:002012-05-19T14:40:56.923+01:00I lived in Pennsylvania for almost 14 years of my ...I lived in Pennsylvania for almost 14 years of my life. I'm 15 now and I moved to Alabama not too long ago. But I've always said "tummy" except for a random phase i went through when i was 13.Josh Parsonsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-55919138113842345512011-09-27T08:05:06.917+01:002011-09-27T08:05:06.917+01:00Belly definately sounds round to me. When you are ...Belly definately sounds round to me. When you are pregnant they like to say Belly so that does it for me.RSA Certificatehttp://www.rsacourseonline.com.aunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-50497975567015508152011-01-04T14:57:44.223+00:002011-01-04T14:57:44.223+00:00Born & raised in southern Ohio to dad from New...Born & raised in southern Ohio to dad from New Jersey & mom from northwest Germany (Emsland), now living in San Diego area, age 41. :-)<br /><br />I never learned to say tummy or belly; it was always stomach, except for belly button (2 words). For me now, belly implies a paunch. <br /><br />Regarding paunch, have you noticed Young People Today use the word pooch to mean the same thing?Michele Sharikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07399812325632034227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-88916119036300280022010-11-28T23:32:41.741+00:002010-11-28T23:32:41.741+00:00I was born in Michigan, grew up in Wisconsin, live...I was born in Michigan, grew up in Wisconsin, lived 13 years in California after high school, and am now in Minnesota, and my gut reaction (pun not intended) is that if my doctor asked me to show him/her my "belly" or "tummy", I'd wonder where s/he got off, being so condescending to an adult.<br /><br />"Stomach" may not be anatomically correct, but it at least sounds more "grown-up".ButMadNNW79https://www.blogger.com/profile/11263948225207810272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-30720661935496410472010-11-27T06:11:40.795+00:002010-11-27T06:11:40.795+00:00Interesting how downstate NY has more in common wi...Interesting how downstate NY has more in common with the Pacific northwest than upstate NY.<br /><br />In my opinion, "belly" is the standard colloquialism (if that's not an oxymoron) for "abdomen". "Tummy" is the child-speak alternative, in most cases.<br /><br />The fat-related meaning (or "paunch", as you say) is not inherent, but can be inferred from certain contexts (without having to use a modifier).Gordon P. Hemsleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08144624867177981541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-20034010200130482232010-11-26T22:50:11.098+00:002010-11-26T22:50:11.098+00:00When I was working as a GP in London, I varied bet...When I was working as a GP in London, I varied between tummy and abdomen depending on how likely I thought the patient before me would be to understand.<br /><br />The best thing is to mirror the patient's own vocabulary if possible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-11018456904822017832010-11-26T21:01:32.597+00:002010-11-26T21:01:32.597+00:00I'm British in America, and I have a tummy-but...I'm British in America, and I have a tummy-button. "Belly" was very much offensive slang when I was growing up in England's East Midlands!Alison Toon Photographerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14312622637296166412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-53831684419946133512010-11-19T04:17:08.839+00:002010-11-19T04:17:08.839+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12319942981396129418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-78735437926239471172010-11-19T04:16:28.575+00:002010-11-19T04:16:28.575+00:00As an American speaker, both belly and tummy sound...As an American speaker, both belly and tummy sound quite informal. A doctor would certainly ask to see my abdomen or (more probable) my midsection. <br /><br />At least to my ears, the belly is the external portion of the midsection while the tummy is the internal. I would say "an upset tummy" to mean nausea and likewise use the phrase "beer belly." A belly can either refer to a paunch or to a woman's midsection during pregnancy (hence the maternity-wear store called "Belly").<br /><br />I'm not sure if it's just me, but when referring to a paunch, "belly" has kind of a feminine ring to it while the masculine variant is "gut."Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12319942981396129418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-14970196734313498982010-11-18T18:50:23.563+00:002010-11-18T18:50:23.563+00:00I've heard both 'belly button' and ...I've heard both 'belly button' and 'tummy button', and have also heard doctors refer to my 'tummy' but never 'belly'. (BrE, 23)<br /><br />I'm a bellydancer by trade, and although I hadn't realised it, I do use the two terms differently depending on who my students are. When I teach middle-aged mums, most of whom do have a bit of a paunch, I usually refer to their 'belly' when explaining moves. I think it's part of the informal atmosphere that I try to create, plus the first lesson will have usually been about how curves and wobbly bits are celebrated in bellydance! However, when I teach university students, who are often slimmer or at least more worried about what they look like, I always use 'stomach' and never 'belly', except in the term 'bellydancing' (although we prefer 'oriental dance' in any case!). That said, for all students, I will refer to 'abdominal muscles' when talking about specific areas of the abdomen, ie upper or lower.Hips Unhinged Ltdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12347221689390797013noreply@blogger.com