what does the phrase mean?

[lameduck]

way down in my stomach

[Quizmonster]

If used figuratively, it sounds like a variant of 'gut' in phrases such as "my gut feeling is..." This is a reference to the ancient idea that the gut or bowels were somehow the very basis of the soul or the seat of one's emotions.

If used literally, it means the same basic idea but in a more down-to-earth way, as in "I felt sick way down in my stomach" or "I felt gut-sick". We see something similar in phrases such as "It was a gut-wrenching experience."