Jelly belly


An overweight person.

I wish I could cut down on the cakes and get some more exercise – I’m turning into a real jelly belly.

Britain, late 19th century.

Worldwide, but not common everywhere. Most used in Britain and Australia.

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.