Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. second-rate beer.

1699		N. Ward London Spy XI 265: A parcel of Rural Sots, who, with the gross Spirits of Common-Belch, were Elevated to such a pitch of Merriment.
a.1704		T. Brown A Comical View of London and Westminster in Works (1760) I 152: Knights of the post to be had in the Temple-walks from morning till night, for two pots of belch and a six-penny slice of boil’d beef.
1711		N. Ward Vulgus Britannicus IX 100: Then when they’re Crazy, stiff an Crippl’d, / Quite surfeited with Belch they’ve tippl’d.
1713		W. King York Spy 46: By that time we had guzzled a Pint of Porters Belch.
1724		Defoe Roxana (1982) 24: Men [...] drink Belch with Porters, and keep company below themselves.
1725		New Canting Dict.
1731		Prisoners Opera 19: Go, you drunken Zot, / You stink of Belch and Brandy.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict.
1748		Dyche & Pardon A New General Eng. Dict. (5th edn) n.p.: Belch, (s.) common beer or ale sold in publicke houses is so called.
1750		Love at First Sight 10: Gentlemen that do not like the Brown Belch, which is fined down with Things you know not from whence, come to the Red Lion, there you will find strong October Beer, all as fine as Wine.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Belch, all sorts of beer; that liquor being apt to cause eructation.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 200: Belch — malt liquor, beer, ale.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1858		A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 265: Whilst my mates are drinking the ‘belch,’ I want to talk business with you.
1890		C. Hindley Vocab. and Gloss. in True Hist. of Tom and Jerry.

2. malt liquor.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew.
1823		see sense 1.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.

3. (US) a noisy complaint.

1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 332: I’ll take care of the cockney, if he makes any belch.
1908		N.Y. Eve. Journal 21 Aug. in Fleming Unforgettable Season (1981) 178: After the game Ganzel acknowledged the decision was right, but he made an awful belch at the time.
1909		Van Loan ‘The Cast-Off’ in Big League (2004) 53: You remember what an awful belch there was [...] when they said the Pinks laid down to let the Grays win?
1914		Jackson & Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Sl. 16: belch, [...] In general usage with all grafters. A protest; a complaint. Example: ‘When he blowed his dough he put up an awful belch.’.
1919		T.A. Dorgan Judge Rummy’s Court 3 May. [synd. strip cartoon] Me lawyer made such a belch fer his jack that I hadda try to get it.
1928		in E. Wilson Twenties (1975) 314: Mizner summoned the manager and said, ‘I’ve got a hell of a big belch, Frank.’.
1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 25: Belch.—A protest or complaint, usually from an individual aggrieved by some one of his associates.
1946		J. Evans Halo in Blood (1988) 19: What’s the belch, friend? Am I supposed to have bent a law?
1962		Ragen & Finston World’s Toughest Prison 790: belch –A protest or complaint.
1993		G.P. Pelecanos Nick’s Trip 236: Bonanno moved into proven, established neighborhoods and burned out the competition. Solanis [i.e. a hit man] was there to make sure there weren’t any belches.

4. (US) a drunken vagrant.

1935		E. Anderson Hungry Men 62: Those old smoke belches from the Bowery are gumming it up.
1937		E. Anderson Thieves Like Us (1999) 44: Unlatch that pump, you nosy old belch.