Idioms are expressions that we will find very useful in our everyday conversations; however, because many people do not understand idioms and how to use them, they are rarely used. In this article, we will be explaining the idiom “ring a bell.”
The idiom “ring a bell” means something that sounds familiar, like a reminder of something you cannot exactly recall. It means to recall something that has been experienced in the past. It also means to try to reawaken a faint or incomplete memory.
Interpreting or giving meaning to an idiomatic expression will usually result in confusion because the literal meaning is always different from the figurative meaning. Moreover, this is the reason you need to study idioms well before using them.
What Does “Ring A Bell” Mean?
Idioms are a group of words that convey a hidden message. However, you cannot correctly use an idiom when you do not know its meaning. Therefore, it is necessary to always acquire knowledge on something before using it.
In this article, we will be discussing and breaking down the idiom “ring a bell.” We will dive into the meaning, origin, correct usage, and examples of the idiomatic expression.
The idiom “ring a bell” literally means to ring a doorbell or any other kind of bell. However, because it is an idiom, we do not interpret it by its literal meaning.
The idiom “ring a bell” means a thing or a person that sounds familiar to you, but you do not fully remember what nor who it is. It also means trying to awaken a vague memory because someone mentioned something very similar to the memory.
When you say something “rings a bell,” it means that thing acts as a reminder of something that happened to you or someone you might have heard of, but you do not exactly remember.
The idiom also means something that seems familiar, but you cannot exactly place your hand on it. It also means trying to stimulate a vague memory of someone you may have met or something you might have seen.
It also means to cause someone to remember something due to what they have seen or heard. The idiom “ring a bell” also means to try to stir the memory of someone by saying or doing something.
When something or a person’s name “rings a bell” to you, it means you think you have encountered that thing or name before, but you do not remember exactly where or who said the name.
What Is The Origin Of The Idiomatic Expression “Ring A Bell”?
There are lots of theories concerning the origin of the idiom; however, the idiom “ring a bell” has an unclear origin. We will be exploring these theories and discussing them.
The first theory of the origin of the idiom “ring a bell” is that the phrase was first used in the 20th century during Pavlov’s experiments with dogs in 1901. The experiment started after Pavlov began noticing that the dogs started drooling whenever they saw someone wearing a lab coat because whoever served them food always wore a lab coat.
So Pavlov decided to conduct an experiment with bells so that whenever the dogs were about to be served, a bell would be rung. Over time the dogs associated the sound of a bell with food that even when they were not served but heard the sound of a bell, they began drooling. So, the sound of the bell in this situation is a reminder that it is time for the dogs to eat.
The other theory of the origin of the idiom is that using bells acts like a reminder for many things. Like a doorbell is to tell someone to open the door, a telephone bell means you should pick up the phone, a toaster bell tells you the toast is ready, and school bells mean it is time for class. So when something rings a bell in this situation, it is reminding you of something.
Nevertheless, the first recorded use of the idiom “ring a bell” was in 1933 in a US writer’s novel Counterfeit. The second time the expression was used was in 1941 in Budd Schulberg’s story.
The idiom was later used in 1943 as the expression “rings a bell.” The idiom was also used in Alfred H. Holt’s book in 1936, and the book was titled Phrase Origins- A Study of Familiar Expressions.
How Do People Use The Idiomatic Expression “Ring A Bell”?
Knowing the meaning and the origin of the idiom “ring a bell” is not enough; you have to understand how to use the idiom correctly before using it when writing and in your speech.
The idiomatic expression “ring a bell” is used when you hear something familiar and you are trying to recollect or remember where you heard it from. It is also used in the form of a question: “does that ring a bell”?
You also use the idiom when you come across something that reminds you of an event that happened in the past, but you do not remember it. It is also used to refer to a reminder of something or someone you might have heard of.
The idiom is also referred to as “rings a bell” and “ring any bells”? For example, if you are making a statement, you can say the name John rings a bell. You can also say, the name John, does it ring any bells? You also use the expression “rang a bell” when relating to the past.
Illustrative Examples Of How To Use The Idiomatic Expression
Now that we know how to use the idiom “ring a bell correctly,” we will be providing some illustrative examples for further clarification.
- Ben and I talked about places we would like to visit, and when he mentioned Bora Bora, it rang a bell, but I was unable to remember where I had read about it.
- Esther and I were watching a movie last night, and she told me she has never seen the actress before, but I told her the name might not ring a bell, but she had seen the actress many times when we were still kids.
- At the coffee shop, I was asked by one of the baristas if I had seen a girl; after she gave me a description of the girl, I told her that I am sorry, but that description does not ring a bell.
- When I asked Johnson if he remembers Anne, our childhood friend, he said the name does not ring a bell, but as soon as I showed him her picture, he recognized her immediately.
- The passage I was reading rang a bell, and when I asked Ezra about it, he said it is supposed to because the professor mentioned an adage in the passage during lectures last week.
- When Edward and I visited the museum, we saw a particular sculpture, and Edward said that sculpture rings a bell, so we read the description and saw that we had written about it for one of our essays at school.
- After the accident, Tanya lost some of her memory. She had amnesia, so after spending a week in the hospital, the doctor said maybe seeing her husband will ring a bell and rekindle her memory.
- When I told Asher I saw Diego at the mall yesterday, and he said the name rings a bell, I told him Diego was our friend in middle school who later became famous and lost touch.
- When I walked into the cafeteria, I heard some girls gossiping about a certain bad boy called Harold, and the name rang a bell, so I asked Justina, and she told me he was the guy sent to the juvenile detention center last month.
- When some detectives showed up at my front door asking if I had seen a girl named Claire, I asked them for her surname, and when they told me, I told them that name does not ring a bell at all.
- Joshua was said to be someone to go to if you are looking for anyone in the school, but when I asked him about Harmony McAdams, he said that name does not ring a bell which made me wonder if Harmony was truly a student in the school.
- During my teen years, anytime I came across a bee, it rings a bell because I was stung by one when I was still a kid.
More English Idioms
Final Thoughts
Have you ever been in a situation where you have a vague memory of something familiar and cannot specifically identify where it happened? The idiomatic expression “ring a bell” is the perfect description for that situation.
You should have no trouble expressing yourself with words and phrases; proverbs and idiomatic expressions help you with that. Although, you cannot express yourself well if you are not well enlightened on the idioms. Read up, get the understanding, and use it effectively in your writings.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.