Green’s Dictionary of Slang

victualling department n.

the stomach.

[1678		J. Ray Proverbs (2nd edn) 345: I have victualled my camp: (filled my belly)].
1751		Smollett Peregrine Pickle (1964) 745: Pipes [...] found it impracticable to smite his antagonist upon the victualling-office, so dexterously was it defended against assault.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Victualling office, the stomach.
1819		‘One of the Fancy’ Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress 15: GEORGY tried to make play, / But his own victualling-office stood much in the way.
1824		J. Wight Mornings in Bow St. 31: [note] Bread basket, dumpling depot, victualling office, &c. are terms given by ‘The fancy’ to the digestive organ.
1824		Pierce Egan’s Life in London 26 Sept. 5/3: Muir [...] astonished, the Gnostics with a number of hard pelts upon the ex-champion's muns and victualling-box.
1830		Egan Finish to the Adventures of Tom and Jerry (1889) 221: The grub and bub were soon afterwards on the table, to furnish the Victualling Office of the hungry over-joyed Black.
1832		Satirist (London) 5 Aug. 250/4: ‘I’m blessed if I don’t pitch it into you in your wittling apartment. and no mistake’.
1841		Sydney Herald 26 Oct. 2/4: Rennie gave an immense number of examples of similar slang vulgarities [...] To bilk, for ‘to cheat;’ in black and white, for ‘in writing;’ awake for ‘aware;’ knowing, for ‘experienced;’ victualling office, for ‘the stomach;’ a deep one, for ‘a designing fellow;’ fagged, for ‘tired;’ to fleece, for to ‘plunder’.
1845		Era (London) 26 Jan. 10/3: Tom this time planted his right in the victualling department.
1845		Bell’s Life in Sydney 20 Sept. 3/1: Billy napped it with the right on the listener very heavy, upon which he immediately rushed in head first[...] catching the mad ’un in the victually office.
1846		The Swell’s Night Guide 135/1: Victualling office, the stomach or paunch.
1855		(con. 1824) Fights for the Championship 94: Ward [...]me his determined antagonist with a slight tap on his victualling office.
1851		Bell’s Life in Sydney 31 May 1/6: He chanced his nob to get at Noon’s victualling department.
1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 11: ‘victualling office’ &c. are terms given by the ‘Fancy’ to the digestive organ.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 130/1: We at once proceeded to a tavern [...] and there had a supply for our victualling department.
1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. [as cit. 1859].
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 11 Apr. 17/3: Pettengell, however, then let him get away, and before the round was over Matthews knocked him once clean off his pins, and shortly after paid a heavy visit to his victualling department.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 92: Victualling Office, the stomach.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 6 Oct. 24/1: Sharkey, whose ‘Irish’ was up, went in to finish – bashing, swinging, and uppercutting with savage ferocity, but Fitz. managed to dodge the worst until he got a chance to give Sharkey a fearful dig with the right in the victualling dept.