Hi, Alexander!  Recently you wrote in a message to All:

 AK>  -----Beginning of the citation-----
 AK>  Miss Champagne was dressed in an extraordinary mermaid outfit.
 AK>  It was green and silver with velvety sea flowers dangling
 AK>  from it. It had small teardrop shapes of net all over it, a
 AK>  halter neck, a very low front, and a circular gap at stomach
 AK>  level revealing Suky's emerald studded belly button.
 AK>  ----- The end of the citation -----

 AK>  Is there a rule, or consideration why we omit an article or
 AK>  pronoun before "stomach level"?


           I don't know of a rule, but I see a pattern:

                     at eye level
                     at waist level or waist height
                     at ceiling height

These are rough approximations which we use when we don't know & probably don't
 need to know the exact measurements.


           People come in different shapes & sizes... as do rooms in a building
... but if I say e.g. that I keep certain items at eye level, you'll understand
 I'm referring to the eye level of the person(s) most likely to remove them
from the shelf &/or put them away.  It may vary according to the height of the
shelf & the number of people involved.  The term "stomach" is ambiguous because
 it is often used to refer to the abdominal area in general.  The author
clarified it, however, by saying the audience could locate Suky's belly
button... i.e. navel. The length of her legs etc. may best be left to the
reader's imagination.  :-))




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