Interestingly, some students don’t agree that BELLY, stomach and tummy have the same meaning. I’m not qualified to discuss biology or anatomy but I can tell you that in spoken English you can safely use any of these 3 words in everyday conversations. Once you know the word belly, it’s easy to learn these connected words and idiom:

• beer belly – this is what you get when you regularly drink too much beer and don’t exercise enough
• belly button –  the hole you see if you take a look at the centre of your belly; where the first communication cable between us and our mummies was connected.
• belly dancing – see it here
• to go belly up – when a project fails or a business goes bankrupt, then it goes belly up. For example, in the next town from where I live – St Paul’s Bay – the council’s plan to introduce a Residents Parking Scheme went belly up. Click to read: news item.

Use the language

What business or project went belly up in your town or region in recent years? What was the reason for the failure?

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• FAQ Bellydance Health Benefits (authenticbellydance.wordpress.com)