Does anyone really say "tummies"?

As I said, the issue is snootiness. Pure and simple.

ana, so what? Is that a reason to dislike it or think it coarse? Rhetorical question. The answer is no.

If you like, phoenix. But my fingers aren't fat. More likely I was thinking ahead of my typing.

Rather like "knidly"

I'm northern too. None of our family have ever used the word 'belly' when referring to the stomach region - and SIL is Welsh...

Fat finger, bags?

People are so careful to be PC about so many other things but criticising perfectly good words as coarse is OK.

Not.

I'm talking about societal....

Well, I maintain that it only sounds coarse because of prejudice. I'm societal prejudice about words that come from the more northern regions because of their closer association with Old English and Old Norse. That's why I object. I'm not saying anyone has to use the word if they don't want to, but I think it's jolly rude to tell others, who do use it, that it's coarse or rude or something you dislike. It's like telling someone you don't like their hairstyle.

Fine. You don't have to like it. But knidly keep you dislike to yourself.

I wondered why my daughter had started using the word belly, as dahn sarf we never did. Then I remembered that her partner lived oop narth.

Quite

No, it's not a rude word, but it does sound coarse (to me) coming from the mouths of small children.

Having a belly-laugh's all right....

Fine, but it's not banned, except by individuals for their own personal use. If they take offence at others' use of it, that's their problem. It is NOT a rude word.

I don't like it bags, that's all. Each to his/her own.

Take belly off your bad words list, folks.

Plain English. YES.

I don't do refained. Sorry, dahling.

It's from an Old English word meaning bag. I like words for bags.

The OE bit will be why it's disliked. Most of the words people disapprove of are straighforward Old English or Old Norse words. So it comes down to snootiness about diction as usual.

Being a northerner, I don't accept any of that crap.

It aint very refined!

Why is belly horrid?

Friend of my parents, who already had eight childre, said she no wasn't going to have any more as she'd already had a bellyful.

Why is belly banned?

Tummy or abdomen, if further up them stomach. The word belly is banned , I don't like it.

Personally the only time I use the word belly is in relation to meat. I think I might sound daft in the butchers asking for tummy of pork