Bread-Basket, subs. (popular).—The stomach. [An obvious allusion to that part of the body as a receptacle of food.]
English Synonyms. Bread-room; dumpling-depôt; victualling-office; porridge-bowl.
French Synonyms. La panetière (common: properly a bag or satchel wherein shepherds put their bread; a pouch. Akin to this is the slang term la pantière, the mouth); panier au pain (a literal translation of the English term); le jabot (popular: formerly heart or breast. Se remplir le jabot = to have a 'blow out'); la halle aux croûtes (popular: this may be rendered literally as 'Crust' hall; also, a baker's shop); la place d'armes (popular: the place of arms, stronghold or arsenal); la soute au pain (popular: soute = store-*room, etc.; thus, the expression would correspond closely to victualling Office or bread-basket. 'Put that in your bread-basket' is rendered by colle-toi ça dans le Fusil, i.e., 'ram that in your gun').
Italian Synonym. The Fourbesque has fagiana (properly a chest or store house for beans.)
1753. Foote, Englishman in Paris, Act 1. Another came up to second time, but I let drive at the mark, made the soup-maigre rumble in his bread-basket, and laid him sprawling.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib's Memorial to Congress, p. 18. Neat milling this Round—what with clouts on the nob, Home hits in the bread-basket, clicks in the gob.
1821. W. T. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, Act iii., Sc. 1. Jerry. Now, doctor, take care of your bread-basket—eyes right, look to your napper.
1856. Reade, Never too Late to Mend, ch. lxx. When you can't fill the bread-basket, shut it. Go to sleep till the Southern Cross comes out again.
1876. C. H. Wall, trans. Molière, vol. I., p. 194. And get as a reward an ugly piece of cold steel light through my bread-basket.
Bread-Picker, subs. (Winchester College).—The four senior præfects used to appoint 'Juniors' to this office which was nominal, but which carried with it exemption from fagging at meal times. No 'notion' book states in what the office consisted, but it is supposed that it relates to times when Juniors had to secure the bread, etc., served out for their masters.
Bread-Room, subs. (old).—The stomach. A variant of bread-basket, which see for synonyms.
1760-61. Smollett, Sir L. Greaves, vol. II., ch. v. He ordered the waiter . . . to . . . bring along-side a short allowance of brandy or grog, that he might cant a slug [dram] into his bread-room. Ibid, ch. xvii. The waiter . . . returned with a quartern of brandy, which Crowe, snatching eagerly, started into his bread-room at one cant.
Bread-Room Jack, subs. (nautical).—A purser's servant.
Break, subs. (thieves').—A collection (of money) usually got up by a prisoner's friends, either to defray the expenses of his defence, or as a 'lift' when leaving prison. Formerly and more generally applied to a pause in street performances to enable the hat to be passed round. Cf., Lead. French slang has une bouline with the same meaning; and, to make a collection is, among mountebanks, faire la manche.
