bellybutton

[Eric Nielsen]

On Thu, Jan 20, 2011 at 6:39 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: bellybutton
>
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>
> My grandmother (b. 1888) used "bellybutton" exclusively. Except for "navel
> oranges." I couldn't understand what oranges had to do with the navy, but
> she explained that "some people" called the bellybutton the "navel."
>  Weird=
> .
>
> JL
>
>

I believe the navel in navel oranges refers to an anatomical structure on
the fruit:

"Navel oranges are characterized by the growth of a second fruit at the
apex, which protrudes slightly and resembles a human navel."

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_(fruit)#Navel_oranges

Haven't heard bellybutton oranges, yet.

Eric

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