What does "yellow-bellies" mean?

What kind of shoes are they? What's dodgy men?

A "leprechaun" is a fictional being in Irish folklore. Its shoes are usually depicted as small, black shoes with a small heel and buckles on the top. The word "dodgy" is slang that means to be untrustworthy and unreliable. "Dodgy men" are untrustworthy men. Ex: Stay away from him. He is super dodgy. Ex: This place is really dodgy. Let's get out of here.

What is "huddle"? Is it a sport word? Can I use it in other sports as well?

"Huddle" can be used as a verb or a noun. As a verb, it refers to people gathering close together. As a noun, like it is used here, it refers to a group of people who are gathered close together. The term is often used in sports and refers to team players gathering together to discuss their plan for how they will play or continue to play during a game. This term can be used to refer to any group of people and any sport. Ex: Come huddle together everyone! ("Huddle" used as a verb) Ex: We talked about it during our huddle. ("Huddle" used as a noun)

What's "diminish in" mean?

Actually, "diminish" and "in" function separately from each other here! "Diminish" is a verb that means to make or become less, and the phrase "in any way" is quite a common phrase used in negative sentences that means under any circumstances or conditions. Ex: You're not responsible for my choices in any way. Ex: John was trying to diminish my achievement by criticizing me. Ex: I don't want to diminish your achievements in any way.

What does "bumpy ride" mean? In what circumstances could I use it?

A "bumpy ride" is a ride or journey that is not smooth, that has bumps or obstacles along the way. It can be meant in a literal or metaphorical way. Ex: There were a lot of rocks on the road, so it was a bumpy ride. Ex: It was a bumpy ride to get to where I am today. I had many failures and successes.

What would be good alternatives that could replace the word "stressful"? Could you give me some examples?

Here, you could use "taxing", "difficult", "trying", "tough", or "anxiety-filled". Ex: The journey has been very trying. = The journey has been very taxing. Ex: The team worked under difficult conditions. Ex: It was tough writing tests this semester. Ex: I've had an anxiety-filled month. I hope next month is better!