belly up
verb1
Idiomatic To gather close, or approach eagerly or assertively, as a bar for ordering alcoholic drinks.
- He bellied up to the bar as soon as he saw a free stool.
- Belly-up to the bar boys and have a drink with me, […]1926, Cecil Villiers, “Don Juan and the Plaza-Miners”, in The Wails and Tales of a Tropical Tramp, Iquitos: Imp. «La hormiga» […], →OCLC, page 99:
2
To die; to fail or go out of business.
3
Of a dog To lay on the back with its belly up.
- Derived terms
- belly up to the bar