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ding-a-ling

[ ding-uh-ling ]
/ ˈdɪŋ əˌlɪŋ /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ding-a-ling ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Slang.

a stupid, foolish, or eccentric person.

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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

  1. dinette,
  2. ding,
  3. ding an sich,
  4. ding dong,
  5. ding ling,
  6. ding-dong,
  7. dingaan,
  8. dingbat,
  9. dingbats,
  10. dinge

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for 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

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