Page:Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant (1889) by Barrere & Leland.djvu/133

 races and ordered a dozen oysters at a stall. The man gave him thirteen by mistake. "Stop," he said, "you're giving me too many." The man who was next to him—quite a common man and a little drunk—turned round and addressed him sententiously, "A cove with a white bell-topper should never be mean."

Belly-chere (old cant), food.

Belly-chete (old cant), an apron.

Bellyful (old), a sound drubbing or thrashing.

Belly-go-firster (old slang), the first blow, usually given in the belly.

Belly hedges (Shrewsbury School), an obstruction of a moderate character in steeplechases run by the boys.

Belly plea, the (old), the old slang term to describe the practice of women condemned to death pleading pregnancy in mitigation or deferment of sentence. This custom is alluded to in the "Beggar's Opera." In most jails there were men termed "child getters," who made a practice of qualifying women to put forward such a plea."

Belly-timber (common), food; termed also "prog," "grub."

Belly up, a facetious way of alluding to a woman being in the family way.

"So help my greens, if our Sal ain't bin and got her belly up."

Belly-vengeance (common), sour beer that will give the stomach-ache.

Below the belt (tailors), unfair or mean, from an expression used in boxing or fencing.

Belt, belt tinker, bellows (tailors), a very roughly made garment.

Belting (nautical), a beating, before the rattan or cat-o'-nine-tails came into use.

Belting society (legal), a debating society, formerly held in the Inns of Court.

Beltinker (popular), to give a man beltinker, to thrash him.

Some of the synonyms are "to give one Jessie, a tanning, a hiding, a walloping, a jacketting, a dusting, to walk into, to quilt, to set about," the operation being sometimes pushed to "thrashing one within an inch of his life," or "knocking into a cocked hat."

Belvidere (popular), a handsome man, an Apollo. Pronounced belvy-dear.