Ringer
/ˈrɪŋ.ər/noun
A person or thing that rings, or an impostor substituted for another in a contest.
Did you know?The cheating sense of ringer comes from horse-racing and sports slang, where a disguised substitute was “ringed in” to fool everyone.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
hringan
“to ring, sound a bell”
Middle English
ME
rengen / ringen
“to sound, make a ringing noise”
14th–15th Century
English
ringer
“one who rings, especially bells”
19th Century
English
ringer
“a fraudulent substitute entered in a race or contest”
Modern English
English
ringer
“a person or thing that rings, or an impostor substituted for another”