ding-a-ling

[ding-uh-ling]

See more synonyms for ding-a-ling on Thesaurus.com

noun Slang.

a stupid, foolish, or eccentric person.

Origin of ding-a-ling

First recorded in 1930–35; rhyming compound imitative of a bell

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for ding-a-ling

crazy, dingbat, eccentric, flake, fool, kook, loony, lunatic, madman, maniac, nut, oddball, screwball, weirdo, madwoman, wacko

Examples from the Web for ding-a-ling

Historical Examples of ding-a-ling

I rang a cow-bell to attract attention and he talked to the people: Ding-a-ling!
The Strollers
Frederic S. Isham

Word Origin and History for ding-a-ling

n.

"one who is crazy," 1935, from notion of hearing bells in the head (see ding (v.)).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper