What does it mean when someone calls you a 'ringer'?

Answer 1

It usually refers to someone participating in a game, competition etc. that claims not to have any particular skill and/or knowledge on the game/sport, but in fact is experienced and quite good at it!

Answer 2

The term ringer comes from an old custom (the 1800's) called 'ringing in the changes'. When a church rang in the changes, it would ring all its bells in a slightly changing sequence, and thus a 'ringer' came to mean something that was almost like another thing. These days, we would probably use the word 'clone' instead most of the time.

The term 'ringer' picked up a perjorative connotation from horse-racing and counterfeiting. A dishonest horse owner might sell an inferior horse to someone, pretending it was a winning racehorse. Or vice versa, a winning horse could be substituted for a bad one in a race. It is used in this latter context in sports to this day - a team that brings in a 'ringer' is usually getting a disproportionately skilled player, sometimes under false pretenses... say, a pro athlete who volunteers to play on his block's amateur softball team.

You may also have heard the expression 'dead ringer' which is still in use as well. The 'dead' in this sense is more of a 'dead on', or immensely accurate in other words. Thus a dead ringer is a duplicate that is almost impossible to tell from the original.

Answer 3

Ringer Definition

Answer 4

A Ringer

Answer 5

it means that you are real good at whatever you are doing. Like if someone is on a baseball team and you get brought in as a sub and your real good you'd be called a ringer. It's a good thing.

Answer 6

Depending if you are in a relationship your a ringer means that you are the one they want.Or it could mean that you are a phoneaholic.I would go with the first answer. There also can mean one more thing that you look exactly like someone they know.Have you ever heard you are a dead ringer for ? That means you look exactly like someone they know.

Answer 7

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RE:
What does it mean when someone calls you a 'ringer'?

Answer 8

Slang. a. a racehorse, athlete, or the like entered in a competition under false representation as to identity or ability.
b. a student paid by another to take an exam.
c. any person or thing that is fraudulent; fake or impostor.
d. a substitute or addition, as a professional musician hired to strengthen a school orchestra: We hired three ringers for the commencement concert.

Answer 9

To them, you look exactly like whomever they say you are a ringer for .

Answer 10

you are there with an unfair advantage. you are expected to win due to the advantage.