ring the bell

No man is an Island, intire of it selfe; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde;

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee


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ring the bell
Also found in: Acronyms.
ring the bell
1. To be exactly what one wants, needs, or is looking for.
I was browsing the lot for a new car, when I saw a used Camaro that really rang the bell.
We've been wandering around town looking for somewhere to eat, but nothing has rang the bell so far.
2. To prove especially memorable, noteworthy, or effective.
The comic's whole routine got some pretty good laughs, but the bit that rang the bell was when he talked about his experiences at Disney Land.
After a long career of writing rather disposable romance novels, she said she wanted to craft a more literary story that would really ring the bell for more serious readers.
3. To cause someone to take notice or action; to be alarming or worrying to someone.
The part of the contract that really rang the bell was a clause near the end that specified that we would forfeit all creative control of the product in perpetuity.
The language the politician is using in his rallies has been ringing the bell for many civil rights activists.
4. To notify or indicate that something is the case.
The analyst said that the market trend was ringing the bell that the economy was about to experience another decline.
The language the politician is using in his rallies has been ringing the bell for many civil rights activists.
See also: bell, ring
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
ring the bell
Inf. to be just what is needed; to hit the spot. This cold water really rings the bell. A good hot bowl of soup would ring the bell about now.
See also: bell, ring
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
ring the bell
tv. to be just what is needed; to hit the spot. A good hot bowl of soup would ring the bell about now.
See also: bell, ring
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
See also:
I'm just/only looking
I'm only looking
come in from (something or some place)
drift out
ring with
give (one) a bell
give somebody a bell

give (one) a bell
To call one on the phone. Primarily heard in UK, Australia.
Give me a bell after the movie, and we can meet somewhere for a drink.
See also: bell, give
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
give someone a bell telephone someone. British informal
See also: bell, give, someone
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
give somebody a ;bell (British English, informal) call somebody by telephone: I’ll give you a bell tomorrow.
See also: bell, give, somebody
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
give someone a bell
swarm out (of something or some place)
swarm out of

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What's the meaning of the phrase 'Saved by the bell'?
Saved by a last minute intervention.


What's the origin of the phrase 'Saved by the bell'?
There is a widespread notion that 'saved by the bell' originated as an expression that relates to people being buried alive. The idea was that, if someone were comatose and mistakenly pronounced dead and interred, they could, if they later revived, ring a bell that was attached to the coffin and be saved. The idea is certainly plausible as the fear of being buried alive was and is real. Several prominent people expressed this fear when close to death themselves:

"All I desire for my own burial is not to be buried alive." - Lord Chesterfield, 1769.

"Have me decently buried, but do not let my body be put into a vault in less than two days after I am dead." - deathbed request of George Washington.

"Swear to make them cut me open, so that I won't be buried alive."- Frederic Chopin's last words.


Just as real were the devices themselves, several of which were patented in England and in the USA. These were known as 'safety coffins' and designs were registered in the 19th century and up to as late as 1955; for example:

Safety coffin

The Improved Burial Case.
Patent No. 81,437 Franz Vester, Newark, New Jersey.
August 25, 1868.

As well as a handy bell, Vester's device had the novel enhancement of a glass screen to view the coffin's occupant. Presumably the mourners could wave to the deceased and, if he waved back, they knew they were on to something.

There's no evidence to show that anyone was ever saved by these coffins or even that they were ever put to use, and there's a similar lack of evidence of the phrase 'saved by the bell' ever being used in that sense prior to it having been used in other contexts.

In fact, the expression is boxing slang and it came into being in the latter half of the 19th century. A boxer who is in danger of losing a bout can be 'saved' from defeat by the respite signalled by bell that marks the end of a round. The earliest reference to this that I can find is in the Massachusetts newspaper The Fitchburg Daily Sentinel, February 1893:

"Martin Flaherty defeated Bobby Burns in 32 rounds by a complete knockout. Half a dozen times Flaherty was saved by the bell in the earlier rounds."

There are other popular etymological fallacies related to death - notably dead ringer and graveyard shift.