Question of the Day #968

Yellow-belly: The colour Brits are most nervous to wear revealed (but celebrities love it)

From the headline of this article at the Express.

  上記の文で、yellow-bellyの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "yellow-belly" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈俗〉臆病者

  なお、問題の見出しの場合は言葉遊びです。色の黄色と「臆病者」の両方にかけて、イギリス人の一番着たくない色の洋服は黄色であることを言っているのです。
言うまでもなくyellow belly, yellow-belly, yellowbellyの何れも同じ意味で、形容詞としても使うことができます。
 

Answer

According to The Phrase Finder:

'Yellow belly' is an insult, indicating that the person it is aimed at is a coward.

 

Examples

• “The bully turned out to be a yellow-belly once someone as big as him called his bluff.”
• “Come out and fight like a man you yellow-belly coward,” said Dad to the big spider lurking under the cabinet.
• They called him "a yellow-bellied wimp" and "a coward".
• Now let me tell you the real answer: You’re a lowdown, yellow-bellied, lily-livered intellectual coward. You’re terrified of finding out he makes more sense than you do. –LA Times
• This time, it drew a response from Robinson’s teammates. Stanky shouted at Chapman from across the field, “Listen, you yellow-bellied cowards, why don’t you yell at somebody who can answer back?” Even Walker, an Alabama resident who was good friends with Chapman, was upset enough to tell his pal he had gone too far. –Sports Illustrated

   

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