belly and body shots

Leslie Decker leslie at FAMILYDECKER.ORG
Tue Nov 16 15:54:56 UTC 2010


The locally extremely popular Czech movie Samotari (The Loners) (2000) made
extensive use of both the English term "body shots" and the practice.  It
was not new to me when I saw it then.


On Tue, Nov 16, 2010 at 8:48 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: belly and body shots
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 11/15/2010 10:10 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >"The body shots are really startin' to kick in!"
> >
> >Wikipedia and Urban Dictionary (from 2003) explain that these are shots of
> >tequila or a similar beverage, lapped/licked from another person's navel,
> >breasts, or anywhere else on their body.
> >
> >As part of public jollification, of course, as in fashionable dance
> >clubs. "Belly shots," naturally, are restricted to the navel.
>
> A vague sense tells me "body shots" and "belly shots" date from
> earlier than 2003.  (Wilson has a more focused sense, apparently.)
>
> Searching GB with "belly/body shots" + alcohol/tequila:
>
> 1)  "Belly shots" -- (and *not* in Urban Dictionary?!)
>
> 1993:  From an authoritative source:  Tailhook 91: Events at the 35th
> Annual Tailhook Symposium.  United States. Dept. of Defense.
> Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, United States. Dept.
> of Defense. Assistant Inspector General for Departmental
> Inquiries:  B. "Belly/Navel Shots" The terms "belly shots" and "navel
> shots" describe the practice of drinking alcohol (typically tequila)
> out of people's navels. Incidents involving the exchange of belly
> shots between male and female officers and ... .  [Snippet]
>
> Is this not *the* Tailhook Scandal?  See McMichael, _The mother of
> all hooks: the story of the U.S. Navy's Tailhook Scandal_ (1997), p. 135.
>
> For 1994 through 2002, a few more GB hits, all related to Tailhook.
>
>
> 2)  "Body shots"
>
> 1993, Bruce Craven, _Fast Sofa_.  Then Iona Agave refilled his glass
> with tequila. A wedge of lime and a bubbly gold schooner of draft
> already in front of him. Rick looked at the freckles on lona Agave's
> chest. "Have you ever done body shots?" She leaned against the bar
> ... .  [Snippet]
>
> There was the Oct. 1999 movie "Body Shots".
>
> And for 1995 through 2002 a couple dozen GB hits for "body shots" +
> tequila.
>
> Joel
>
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