Origin of the phrase “under your belt”?
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Today, I found myself discussing what students should have "under their belts" during a lecture, and I wondered to myself if there was some inappropriate undertone here that I might be unaware of.
Question: What is the origin of the phrase "under your belt"?
A google search revealed some webpages (e.g. [1]) that assert its origin is related to consumption of food -- once a meal has been eaten, it's under your belt (which is a relief). However, with such websites, I have no way to determine fact from "random guy on the internet making stuff up".
etymology idioms
add a comment |
Today, I found myself discussing what students should have "under their belts" during a lecture, and I wondered to myself if there was some inappropriate undertone here that I might be unaware of.
Question: What is the origin of the phrase "under your belt"?
A google search revealed some webpages (e.g. [1]) that assert its origin is related to consumption of food -- once a meal has been eaten, it's under your belt (which is a relief). However, with such websites, I have no way to determine fact from "random guy on the internet making stuff up".
etymology idioms
You must also consider that trouser waists used to be worn much higher than today. I don't think the expression has any sexual origins, though I have no evidence for that.
– Gorpik
May 24 '12 at 10:49
2
+1 for including the research you've done so far. (Plus, it's an interesting question)
– J.R.
May 24 '12 at 10:49
1
Thanks for the great answers!! (I picked one I liked as the "accepted" answer, but there was very little separating them.)
– Douglas S. Stones
May 24 '12 at 22:24
add a comment |
Today, I found myself discussing what students should have "under their belts" during a lecture, and I wondered to myself if there was some inappropriate undertone here that I might be unaware of.
Question: What is the origin of the phrase "under your belt"?
A google search revealed some webpages (e.g. [1]) that assert its origin is related to consumption of food -- once a meal has been eaten, it's under your belt (which is a relief). However, with such websites, I have no way to determine fact from "random guy on the internet making stuff up".
etymology idioms
Today, I found myself discussing what students should have "under their belts" during a lecture, and I wondered to myself if there was some inappropriate undertone here that I might be unaware of.
Question: What is the origin of the phrase "under your belt"?
A google search revealed some webpages (e.g. [1]) that assert its origin is related to consumption of food -- once a meal has been eaten, it's under your belt (which is a relief). However, with such websites, I have no way to determine fact from "random guy on the internet making stuff up".
etymology idioms
etymology idioms
edited May 24 '12 at 16:39
John Lawler
85.1k6118335
85.1k6118335
asked May 24 '12 at 10:34
Douglas S. StonesDouglas S. Stones
3613413
3613413
You must also consider that trouser waists used to be worn much higher than today. I don't think the expression has any sexual origins, though I have no evidence for that.
– Gorpik
May 24 '12 at 10:49
2
+1 for including the research you've done so far. (Plus, it's an interesting question)
– J.R.
May 24 '12 at 10:49
1
Thanks for the great answers!! (I picked one I liked as the "accepted" answer, but there was very little separating them.)
– Douglas S. Stones
May 24 '12 at 22:24
add a comment |
You must also consider that trouser waists used to be worn much higher than today. I don't think the expression has any sexual origins, though I have no evidence for that.
– Gorpik
May 24 '12 at 10:49
2
+1 for including the research you've done so far. (Plus, it's an interesting question)
– J.R.
May 24 '12 at 10:49
1
Thanks for the great answers!! (I picked one I liked as the "accepted" answer, but there was very little separating them.)
– Douglas S. Stones
May 24 '12 at 22:24
You must also consider that trouser waists used to be worn much higher than today. I don't think the expression has any sexual origins, though I have no evidence for that.
– Gorpik
May 24 '12 at 10:49
You must also consider that trouser waists used to be worn much higher than today. I don't think the expression has any sexual origins, though I have no evidence for that.
– Gorpik
May 24 '12 at 10:49
2
2
+1 for including the research you've done so far. (Plus, it's an interesting question)
– J.R.
May 24 '12 at 10:49
+1 for including the research you've done so far. (Plus, it's an interesting question)
– J.R.
May 24 '12 at 10:49
1
1
Thanks for the great answers!! (I picked one I liked as the "accepted" answer, but there was very little separating them.)
– Douglas S. Stones
May 24 '12 at 22:24
Thanks for the great answers!! (I picked one I liked as the "accepted" answer, but there was very little separating them.)
– Douglas S. Stones
May 24 '12 at 22:24
add a comment |
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
The Online Etymological Dictionary says:
To get something under (one's) belt is to get it into one's stomach.
The Oxford English Dictionary says:
Colloq. phr. under one's belt, in one's stomach. Also fig.
Their first three citations are:
- 1839 The Spirit of the Times: Away we went, each bearing, under his belt, his full share of the antifogmatical?compound.
- 1938 A Dictionary of American English on historical principles: Belt, v.? To put under one's belt; to swallow.
- 1954 The Manchester Guardian Weekly: His wife had 135,000 miles driving in the States under her belt?but was still failed.
Here's three earlier literal examples, all about a lot of alcohol under one's belt.
1762's The Young Hypocrite by Samuel Foote:
1790's The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett (first published 1771):
1817's Ormond, a tale by Maria Edgeworth:
add a comment |
The literal meaning of having something under your belt is having it in your stomach, but it’s probably more frequently used figuratively, to mean having acquired something, often intellectual. For example, the OED has these two supporting citations, from the English novelists P G Wodehouse (1954) and John Wain (1962):
Just as you have got Hamlet and Macbeth under your belt
He wanted me to get plenty of Latin and Greek under the belt so that I
could be like him.
Below the belt has a quite different meaning. It’s from the language of boxing, where the rules forbid hitting the lower abdomen. It, too, can be used figuratively to describe other kinds of unfair act.
1
I'd argue that even the having it in your stomach is figurative as the first literal meaning of the phrase would have been to have something, like a weapon, hanging from one's belt.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 12:10
2
@Callithumpian: The earliest "in your stomach" I found is 1762, and "something hanging" from 1596 (and is that the first recorded emoticon in history roflol?! :)
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:33
add a comment |
The phrase seems to be of Scottish origin. As Hugo found, most of the earliest uses of the phrase have to do with alcohol consumption. I did find this earlier figurative use of the phrase however from The History Of The Church And State Of Scotland, 1753 (date check):
It appears the figurative sense of under one's belt to mean owned or "contained by" goes back even further as evidenced by this old Scottish saying from A Complete Collection of Scotish Proverbs, 1721:
Perhaps related to the 1721 Scottish saying "my tongue is not under your belt" is the Scottish proverb "put thy thumb under my belt", to submit (1848), listed in 1737 as "thy thumb is under my belt".
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:58
Interesting. All these body parts under belts make me wonder if there's some more tangible origin out there. Then there's under one's thumb, tread under foot, etc.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 14:15
A belt can be used for corporal punishment. Your quotes make me wonder if the phrase originally meant under your control (through violent coercion).
– donothingsuccessfully
May 24 '12 at 20:28
add a comment |
Under your belt means --
"to have learned or succeeded in something which might be an advantage in the future."
e.g. Basic computer skills are a good thing to have under your belt.
Can you cite your source?
– simchona
May 30 '12 at 20:39
ya. i got it from the Cambridge advanced dictionary.
– Krishna Chandra Tiwari
May 31 '12 at 16:20
add a comment |
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4 Answers
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4 Answers
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The Online Etymological Dictionary says:
To get something under (one's) belt is to get it into one's stomach.
The Oxford English Dictionary says:
Colloq. phr. under one's belt, in one's stomach. Also fig.
Their first three citations are:
- 1839 The Spirit of the Times: Away we went, each bearing, under his belt, his full share of the antifogmatical?compound.
- 1938 A Dictionary of American English on historical principles: Belt, v.? To put under one's belt; to swallow.
- 1954 The Manchester Guardian Weekly: His wife had 135,000 miles driving in the States under her belt?but was still failed.
Here's three earlier literal examples, all about a lot of alcohol under one's belt.
1762's The Young Hypocrite by Samuel Foote:
1790's The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett (first published 1771):
1817's Ormond, a tale by Maria Edgeworth:
add a comment |
The Online Etymological Dictionary says:
To get something under (one's) belt is to get it into one's stomach.
The Oxford English Dictionary says:
Colloq. phr. under one's belt, in one's stomach. Also fig.
Their first three citations are:
- 1839 The Spirit of the Times: Away we went, each bearing, under his belt, his full share of the antifogmatical?compound.
- 1938 A Dictionary of American English on historical principles: Belt, v.? To put under one's belt; to swallow.
- 1954 The Manchester Guardian Weekly: His wife had 135,000 miles driving in the States under her belt?but was still failed.
Here's three earlier literal examples, all about a lot of alcohol under one's belt.
1762's The Young Hypocrite by Samuel Foote:
1790's The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett (first published 1771):
1817's Ormond, a tale by Maria Edgeworth:
add a comment |
The Online Etymological Dictionary says:
To get something under (one's) belt is to get it into one's stomach.
The Oxford English Dictionary says:
Colloq. phr. under one's belt, in one's stomach. Also fig.
Their first three citations are:
- 1839 The Spirit of the Times: Away we went, each bearing, under his belt, his full share of the antifogmatical?compound.
- 1938 A Dictionary of American English on historical principles: Belt, v.? To put under one's belt; to swallow.
- 1954 The Manchester Guardian Weekly: His wife had 135,000 miles driving in the States under her belt?but was still failed.
Here's three earlier literal examples, all about a lot of alcohol under one's belt.
1762's The Young Hypocrite by Samuel Foote:
1790's The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett (first published 1771):
1817's Ormond, a tale by Maria Edgeworth:
The Online Etymological Dictionary says:
To get something under (one's) belt is to get it into one's stomach.
The Oxford English Dictionary says:
Colloq. phr. under one's belt, in one's stomach. Also fig.
Their first three citations are:
- 1839 The Spirit of the Times: Away we went, each bearing, under his belt, his full share of the antifogmatical?compound.
- 1938 A Dictionary of American English on historical principles: Belt, v.? To put under one's belt; to swallow.
- 1954 The Manchester Guardian Weekly: His wife had 135,000 miles driving in the States under her belt?but was still failed.
Here's three earlier literal examples, all about a lot of alcohol under one's belt.
1762's The Young Hypocrite by Samuel Foote:
1790's The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett (first published 1771):
1817's Ormond, a tale by Maria Edgeworth:
edited May 24 '12 at 12:10
answered May 24 '12 at 11:07
HugoHugo
58.6k12171271
58.6k12171271
add a comment |
add a comment |
The literal meaning of having something under your belt is having it in your stomach, but it’s probably more frequently used figuratively, to mean having acquired something, often intellectual. For example, the OED has these two supporting citations, from the English novelists P G Wodehouse (1954) and John Wain (1962):
Just as you have got Hamlet and Macbeth under your belt
He wanted me to get plenty of Latin and Greek under the belt so that I
could be like him.
Below the belt has a quite different meaning. It’s from the language of boxing, where the rules forbid hitting the lower abdomen. It, too, can be used figuratively to describe other kinds of unfair act.
1
I'd argue that even the having it in your stomach is figurative as the first literal meaning of the phrase would have been to have something, like a weapon, hanging from one's belt.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 12:10
2
@Callithumpian: The earliest "in your stomach" I found is 1762, and "something hanging" from 1596 (and is that the first recorded emoticon in history roflol?! :)
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:33
add a comment |
The literal meaning of having something under your belt is having it in your stomach, but it’s probably more frequently used figuratively, to mean having acquired something, often intellectual. For example, the OED has these two supporting citations, from the English novelists P G Wodehouse (1954) and John Wain (1962):
Just as you have got Hamlet and Macbeth under your belt
He wanted me to get plenty of Latin and Greek under the belt so that I
could be like him.
Below the belt has a quite different meaning. It’s from the language of boxing, where the rules forbid hitting the lower abdomen. It, too, can be used figuratively to describe other kinds of unfair act.
1
I'd argue that even the having it in your stomach is figurative as the first literal meaning of the phrase would have been to have something, like a weapon, hanging from one's belt.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 12:10
2
@Callithumpian: The earliest "in your stomach" I found is 1762, and "something hanging" from 1596 (and is that the first recorded emoticon in history roflol?! :)
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:33
add a comment |
The literal meaning of having something under your belt is having it in your stomach, but it’s probably more frequently used figuratively, to mean having acquired something, often intellectual. For example, the OED has these two supporting citations, from the English novelists P G Wodehouse (1954) and John Wain (1962):
Just as you have got Hamlet and Macbeth under your belt
He wanted me to get plenty of Latin and Greek under the belt so that I
could be like him.
Below the belt has a quite different meaning. It’s from the language of boxing, where the rules forbid hitting the lower abdomen. It, too, can be used figuratively to describe other kinds of unfair act.
The literal meaning of having something under your belt is having it in your stomach, but it’s probably more frequently used figuratively, to mean having acquired something, often intellectual. For example, the OED has these two supporting citations, from the English novelists P G Wodehouse (1954) and John Wain (1962):
Just as you have got Hamlet and Macbeth under your belt
He wanted me to get plenty of Latin and Greek under the belt so that I
could be like him.
Below the belt has a quite different meaning. It’s from the language of boxing, where the rules forbid hitting the lower abdomen. It, too, can be used figuratively to describe other kinds of unfair act.
answered May 24 '12 at 11:10
Barrie EnglandBarrie England
129k10205354
129k10205354
1
I'd argue that even the having it in your stomach is figurative as the first literal meaning of the phrase would have been to have something, like a weapon, hanging from one's belt.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 12:10
2
@Callithumpian: The earliest "in your stomach" I found is 1762, and "something hanging" from 1596 (and is that the first recorded emoticon in history roflol?! :)
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:33
add a comment |
1
I'd argue that even the having it in your stomach is figurative as the first literal meaning of the phrase would have been to have something, like a weapon, hanging from one's belt.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 12:10
2
@Callithumpian: The earliest "in your stomach" I found is 1762, and "something hanging" from 1596 (and is that the first recorded emoticon in history roflol?! :)
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:33
1
1
I'd argue that even the having it in your stomach is figurative as the first literal meaning of the phrase would have been to have something, like a weapon, hanging from one's belt.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 12:10
I'd argue that even the having it in your stomach is figurative as the first literal meaning of the phrase would have been to have something, like a weapon, hanging from one's belt.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 12:10
2
2
@Callithumpian: The earliest "in your stomach" I found is 1762, and "something hanging" from 1596 (and is that the first recorded emoticon in history roflol?! :)
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:33
@Callithumpian: The earliest "in your stomach" I found is 1762, and "something hanging" from 1596 (and is that the first recorded emoticon in history roflol?! :)
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:33
add a comment |
The phrase seems to be of Scottish origin. As Hugo found, most of the earliest uses of the phrase have to do with alcohol consumption. I did find this earlier figurative use of the phrase however from The History Of The Church And State Of Scotland, 1753 (date check):
It appears the figurative sense of under one's belt to mean owned or "contained by" goes back even further as evidenced by this old Scottish saying from A Complete Collection of Scotish Proverbs, 1721:
Perhaps related to the 1721 Scottish saying "my tongue is not under your belt" is the Scottish proverb "put thy thumb under my belt", to submit (1848), listed in 1737 as "thy thumb is under my belt".
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:58
Interesting. All these body parts under belts make me wonder if there's some more tangible origin out there. Then there's under one's thumb, tread under foot, etc.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 14:15
A belt can be used for corporal punishment. Your quotes make me wonder if the phrase originally meant under your control (through violent coercion).
– donothingsuccessfully
May 24 '12 at 20:28
add a comment |
The phrase seems to be of Scottish origin. As Hugo found, most of the earliest uses of the phrase have to do with alcohol consumption. I did find this earlier figurative use of the phrase however from The History Of The Church And State Of Scotland, 1753 (date check):
It appears the figurative sense of under one's belt to mean owned or "contained by" goes back even further as evidenced by this old Scottish saying from A Complete Collection of Scotish Proverbs, 1721:
Perhaps related to the 1721 Scottish saying "my tongue is not under your belt" is the Scottish proverb "put thy thumb under my belt", to submit (1848), listed in 1737 as "thy thumb is under my belt".
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:58
Interesting. All these body parts under belts make me wonder if there's some more tangible origin out there. Then there's under one's thumb, tread under foot, etc.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 14:15
A belt can be used for corporal punishment. Your quotes make me wonder if the phrase originally meant under your control (through violent coercion).
– donothingsuccessfully
May 24 '12 at 20:28
add a comment |
The phrase seems to be of Scottish origin. As Hugo found, most of the earliest uses of the phrase have to do with alcohol consumption. I did find this earlier figurative use of the phrase however from The History Of The Church And State Of Scotland, 1753 (date check):
It appears the figurative sense of under one's belt to mean owned or "contained by" goes back even further as evidenced by this old Scottish saying from A Complete Collection of Scotish Proverbs, 1721:
The phrase seems to be of Scottish origin. As Hugo found, most of the earliest uses of the phrase have to do with alcohol consumption. I did find this earlier figurative use of the phrase however from The History Of The Church And State Of Scotland, 1753 (date check):
It appears the figurative sense of under one's belt to mean owned or "contained by" goes back even further as evidenced by this old Scottish saying from A Complete Collection of Scotish Proverbs, 1721:
edited Mar 9 '17 at 18:04
Community♦
1
1
answered May 24 '12 at 12:24
CallithumpianCallithumpian
22.8k758148
22.8k758148
Perhaps related to the 1721 Scottish saying "my tongue is not under your belt" is the Scottish proverb "put thy thumb under my belt", to submit (1848), listed in 1737 as "thy thumb is under my belt".
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:58
Interesting. All these body parts under belts make me wonder if there's some more tangible origin out there. Then there's under one's thumb, tread under foot, etc.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 14:15
A belt can be used for corporal punishment. Your quotes make me wonder if the phrase originally meant under your control (through violent coercion).
– donothingsuccessfully
May 24 '12 at 20:28
add a comment |
Perhaps related to the 1721 Scottish saying "my tongue is not under your belt" is the Scottish proverb "put thy thumb under my belt", to submit (1848), listed in 1737 as "thy thumb is under my belt".
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:58
Interesting. All these body parts under belts make me wonder if there's some more tangible origin out there. Then there's under one's thumb, tread under foot, etc.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 14:15
A belt can be used for corporal punishment. Your quotes make me wonder if the phrase originally meant under your control (through violent coercion).
– donothingsuccessfully
May 24 '12 at 20:28
Perhaps related to the 1721 Scottish saying "my tongue is not under your belt" is the Scottish proverb "put thy thumb under my belt", to submit (1848), listed in 1737 as "thy thumb is under my belt".
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:58
Perhaps related to the 1721 Scottish saying "my tongue is not under your belt" is the Scottish proverb "put thy thumb under my belt", to submit (1848), listed in 1737 as "thy thumb is under my belt".
– Hugo
May 24 '12 at 12:58
Interesting. All these body parts under belts make me wonder if there's some more tangible origin out there. Then there's under one's thumb, tread under foot, etc.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 14:15
Interesting. All these body parts under belts make me wonder if there's some more tangible origin out there. Then there's under one's thumb, tread under foot, etc.
– Callithumpian
May 24 '12 at 14:15
A belt can be used for corporal punishment. Your quotes make me wonder if the phrase originally meant under your control (through violent coercion).
– donothingsuccessfully
May 24 '12 at 20:28
A belt can be used for corporal punishment. Your quotes make me wonder if the phrase originally meant under your control (through violent coercion).
– donothingsuccessfully
May 24 '12 at 20:28
add a comment |
Under your belt means --
"to have learned or succeeded in something which might be an advantage in the future."
e.g. Basic computer skills are a good thing to have under your belt.
Can you cite your source?
– simchona
May 30 '12 at 20:39
ya. i got it from the Cambridge advanced dictionary.
– Krishna Chandra Tiwari
May 31 '12 at 16:20
add a comment |
Under your belt means --
"to have learned or succeeded in something which might be an advantage in the future."
e.g. Basic computer skills are a good thing to have under your belt.
Can you cite your source?
– simchona
May 30 '12 at 20:39
ya. i got it from the Cambridge advanced dictionary.
– Krishna Chandra Tiwari
May 31 '12 at 16:20
add a comment |
Under your belt means --
"to have learned or succeeded in something which might be an advantage in the future."
e.g. Basic computer skills are a good thing to have under your belt.
Under your belt means --
"to have learned or succeeded in something which might be an advantage in the future."
e.g. Basic computer skills are a good thing to have under your belt.
answered May 24 '12 at 14:50
Krishna Chandra TiwariKrishna Chandra Tiwari
3914926
3914926
Can you cite your source?
– simchona
May 30 '12 at 20:39
ya. i got it from the Cambridge advanced dictionary.
– Krishna Chandra Tiwari
May 31 '12 at 16:20
add a comment |
Can you cite your source?
– simchona
May 30 '12 at 20:39
ya. i got it from the Cambridge advanced dictionary.
– Krishna Chandra Tiwari
May 31 '12 at 16:20
Can you cite your source?
– simchona
May 30 '12 at 20:39
Can you cite your source?
– simchona
May 30 '12 at 20:39
ya. i got it from the Cambridge advanced dictionary.
– Krishna Chandra Tiwari
May 31 '12 at 16:20
ya. i got it from the Cambridge advanced dictionary.
– Krishna Chandra Tiwari
May 31 '12 at 16:20
add a comment |
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You must also consider that trouser waists used to be worn much higher than today. I don't think the expression has any sexual origins, though I have no evidence for that.
– Gorpik
May 24 '12 at 10:49
2
+1 for including the research you've done so far. (Plus, it's an interesting question)
– J.R.
May 24 '12 at 10:49
1
Thanks for the great answers!! (I picked one I liked as the "accepted" answer, but there was very little separating them.)
– Douglas S. Stones
May 24 '12 at 22:24