| E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. |
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To hit below the belt. To strike unfairly. It is prohibited in prize-fighting to hit below the waist-belt. | 1 |
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To call men knaves and fools, to charge a man with nepotism, to make a slanderous report which is not actionable, indeed to take away a man’s character in any way where self-defence is impossible, is “hitting him below the belt.” |
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“Lord Salisbury hits hard, but never hits below the belt.”—Daily Telegraph, November, 1885. |
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To hold the belt. To be the champion. In pugilism, etc., a belt is passed on to the champion. | 2 |
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