A Dead Ringer Is an Exact Double
A ringer rings a bell, or is a substitute brought in illicitly. The dead ringer is an exact lookalike.
A ringer rings bells, and in sport is a substitute brought in under false pretences. *Dead ringer* means an exact double, and both senses come from horse racing slang: a *ringer* was a superior horse entered under another's name, and *dead* here means exactly, as in *dead centre*. The graveyard story about bells is a modern invention.
- One who rings bells. *A bell ringer.*
- An illicit substitute. *He was a ringer.*
- Dead ringer — an exact double. *A dead ringer for her mother.*
- Ring — to sound a bell. *Ring the changes.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | ringer | A dead ringer. |
| Plural | ringers | Church ringers. |
| Verb | ring | Ring the bell. |
| Noun | ringing | Change ringing. |
| Related | campanology | A study of campanology. |
How it is used in a sentence
- He is a dead ringer for his father.An exact likeness.
- Dead here means exactly.As in dead centre.
- Ring the changes means vary the routine.From bell ringing.
Bell ringing terms
- Change ringing — ringing bells in changing mathematical sequences
- Peal — a full performance, often lasting hours
- Campanology — the study of bells and their ringing
- Ring the changes — vary the order, hence vary a routine
- Tenor — the heaviest bell in a ring
From *ring*, Old English *hringan*, of imitative origin. The substitute sense is nineteenth-century American racing slang.
Does *dead ringer* come from graveyards?
No. The story about bells attached to coffins is a modern invention. The phrase comes from horse racing, where dead means exactly.
What is change ringing?
A British tradition of ringing tower bells in changing mathematical sequences rather than melodies, requiring considerable coordination.