# sayings **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2000, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings/44248 "2000-12-06T03:01:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sarteve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d26b3c/32.png) [@sarteve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sarteve)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings/44248/1 "2000-12-06T03:01:23Z")
where does the saying 'yellow belly ’ come from?? ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings/44248/2 "2000-12-06T03:02:43Z")
It is short for “you yellow bellied coward”. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings/44248/3 "2000-12-06T03:10:33Z")
You called? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings/44248/4 "2000-12-07T04:48:18Z")
It was used in print as early as 1842 as a derogatory comment about Mexicans. That’s as far back as I can take it. In and around the same time period, the term “yellow journalism” or a variation of the term was used to describe sensational reporting magazines/newspapers and pamphlets . They were quite often printed on cheap yellow paper. Probably by Rupert Murdock’s great-great grandfather.