belly-up, adv.
Brit. /ˌbɛlɪˈʌp/, U.S. /ˌbɛliˈəp/
[‹ belly n. + up adv.2]
1. In or into a position with the belly or underside facing upwards; spec. (esp. of a fish) in or into this position as the result of dying.
| 1749 W. Douglass Brit. Settlem. N. Amer. I. ii. vi. 302 In Newfoundland they work their Fish Belly down, in New-England they work them Belly up, to receive more Salt, and add to their Weight. 1832 Traveller & Spirit of Times 1 Dec. 1/1 On the following day several flounders were seen, belly up, floating on the surface of the water. 1878 F. H. Hart Sazerac Lying Club v. 43 Pritty soon the fish would come belly-up on the water. 1902J. London League Old Men in Children of Forest 247 The lynx made a very great leap; and here it struck, with the rabbit under and rolling belly up. 1923 Stevens Point (Wisconsin) Daily Jrnl. 10 July 6/3 Change the water often, don't wait until the minnows come to the top, that's about the time they are ready to turn belly up. 1987 W. Hagelund Whalers no More vi. 86, I damn near heaved up my supper when I saw this big, bloated, rotten rat floating belly-up in the brine. 1995 New Yorker 2 Oct. 85/1 Our car inches past a black minivan, belly up, its doors splayed like the broken wings of a squashed insect. 2001 Guardian (Nexis) 5 July (Features section) 16, I am lying belly up waiting for my obstetrician to stick a big needle into my womb. |
2. fig. colloq. (orig. U.S.). In or into a situation of having failed (esp. financially), died, finished, or become defunct. Esp. in to go belly-up.
| 1920J. Dos Passos Let. 12 Sept. in Fourteenth Chron. (1973) 300 Labor's belly up completely—The only hope is in the I.W.W. 1930 J. Dos Passos 42nd Parallel v. 417 What he wanted to do was to get in on the big war before it went bellyup. 1972 New Yorker 11 Nov. 80 It had already crossed Liebergot's mind that the astronauts could be what he called ‘belly up’ in a matter of hours. 1975 Guardian Weekly 11 Oct. (Washington Post section) 17 If New York can go belly-up, why not any city in the nation. 1993 Albuquerque (New Mexico) Jrnl. 2 Dec. c15/15 We're seeing a complete ecosystem go belly up. 2004 S. Quigley Run for Home (2005) xi. 166 The whole firm just went belly up. |