Green’s Dictionary of Slang

darby kelly n.

the stomach.

[1828		High Life in London 20 Jan. 5/1: He flew upon Darby O’Kelly, / And taking the lad by surprise, / He gave him a punch in the belly].
1885		F. Gilbert ‘I’m the Fellow that Tells the Truth’ 🎵 There’s a fat bellied priest, looking out for a feast [...] He lives once again, On pheasant, beef pudding and jelly / His hair has turned grey, and they’ve taken away / A lump of his fine ‘darby kelly’.
1889		Dead Bird (Sydney) 16 Nov. 4/1: [He] ’its me in the Darby Kelly with a pair of bleedin’ ’andcuffs.
1895		‘G.G.’ Sporting Sketches in Sportsman (Melbourne) (18/10/1898) 5/7: ‘This Arscit [i.e. Ascot race track] aint such a fair beano [...] when yer ain’t got nothink in yer sky or in yer darby-kelly’.
1895		Mirror of Life 7 Dec. 14/4: [G]etting home on his ‘derby’ in so unmistakable a manner in the early portion of the first round.
1900		Sporting Times 24 Feb. 2/1: Let me have men about me with darbies on ’em.
1906		E. Dyson Fact’ry ’Ands 96: Er cold, proud man tumbles on his Darby Kel in ther dirt. [Ibid.] 202: Tommy was still lyin’ in his corner with ther spanner tucked in his darby.
1908		Sun. Times (Perth) 17 May 4/7: I gave the cow left and right in the Darby Kelly — a regular Tommy Burnser.
1908		Sun. Times (Perth) 8 Nov. 4/7: I plugs him one on the jor an’ one in the darby.
1911		J.W. Horsley Memoirs of a ‘Sky Pilot’ 253: The children gave me such words as [...] ‘Darky [sic] kelly’ for belly.
1911		Collins et al. [perf. Harry Champion] ‘Any Old Iron’ 🎵 I put the [watch] chain on my derby kell.
1914		Bateman & Trevor [perf. Harry Champion] ‘Dr Shelley’ 🎵 I can cure you on the spot / If you’ve got the nasty pain / In your Derby Kelly.
1915		Collins & Leigh [perf. Marie Lloyd] Now you’ve got yer Khaki on 🎵 Once or twice I thought you meant to grow a Derby Kell / But they’ve took it off, and stuff’d it in yer chest.
1919		E. Dyson ‘Repaired’ ‘Hello, Soldier!’ 95: In me Darby Kell a rip / Settn’ up a cool sensation / Like excessive ventilation.
1925		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 30: An de ole soufpaw to de darby kelly He don’t like ’em down dere.
1932		‘P.P.’ Rhy. Sl.
1946		St. Vincent Troubridge ‘Some Notes on Rhyming Argot’ in AS XXI:1 Feb. 46: derby kelley. The belly. (Origin uncertain, but probably American.) This is English, though the usual spelling is Kelly. Probably from some mid-nineteenth century individual of criminal fame in Derbyshire. The Derby would appear to be conclusive as to origin.
1960		J. Franklyn Dict. of Rhy. Sl. 56: Derby Kelly. Belly.
1963		L.F. Freed Crime in S. Afr. 106: His ‘darby kelly,’ is his belly.
1971		F.J. Hardy Outcasts of Foolgarah (1975) 7: He [...] tapped the life-begins-at-forty paunch of his Darby Kelly.
1977		D. Powis Signs of Crime 180: Darby (Kelly) Belly, frequently ‘Darby Kel’.
1979		R. Barker Fletcher’s Book of Rhy. Sl. 39: Filling our Darbies round your Cain and Abel.
1981		B. Hoy ‘Uncle George’ in Wright Cockney Dial. and Sl. (1981) 109: Nah go an’ take a good butcher’s / At our standard of livin’ today; / We’ve all got a telly, / A full derby kelly – / And we’re strikin’ the ol’ lot away!
2002		D. Shaw ‘Dead Beard’ at www.asstr.org 🌐 ‘You heard what the fork and knife wants,’ I told Dionne. ‘My saucepan handle going all the way up to your derby kelly. Are you ready for the big time, gal?’.