15:01 May 23, 2010 

Yes, Suzan, and of course if women have something similar it is usually referred to as a "spare tyre" or in German "Rettungsring" (the lifebelt you find on ships etc.).

13:54 May 23, 2010 

Thanks for the (belly) laugh, Diana.

13:28 May 23, 2010 

The so-called anatomy of all this is quite interesting. "Belly" is used for the lower part of the abdomen which contains the gut (intestines), and "stomach" is really the upper part. However, "stomach" is often used for the lower abdomen, as in our example.
The BE word I used as a child for the "belly" part is "tummy" , which is linguistically a variant of "stomach". So a "tummy ache" is the same as a "belly ache", as it is not usually centred in the stomach.
"Paunch" is used for the protuding male (;-)) "beer belly" (in German slang "Pullenfriedhof" - literally burial place of beer bottles)

16:15 May 22, 2010 

hint of a gut - in this context, with a salt and pepper (graying) beard, is a way of saying: Given his age, this guy had a flat abdomen, with only a hint of a gut.

12:52 May 22, 2010 

*pepper* beard