idioms - For whom the bell tolls - origin of "ask not" instead of ...
Jun 15, 2016 · "Ask not for whom the bell tolls" is a popular cliche. My understanding is that it comes from John Donne's Meditation XVII (1623). But in Donne's poem, the line is any man's …
etymology - What is the origin of "rings a bell"? - English …
Mar 14, 2012 · For example, he struck a bell when the dogs were fed. If the bell was sounded in close association with their meal, the dogs learnt to associate the sound of the bell with food. …
single word requests - Is there a term for the sound of a bicycle …
Sep 5, 2013 · A bicycle bell is a percussive signaling instrument mounted on a bicycle for warning pedestrians and other cyclists. Wikipedia says that a bicycle bell produces a "ding-ding" …
etymology - What caused bell peppers to be called capsicums in …
Aug 24, 2016 · A person working in an Indian supermarket was shocked when I told her it's called Bell Pepper in the US, UK, Canada and Ireland. I had to pull out Wikipedia to convince her it …
single word requests - What do you call the sound of a bell?
Sep 11, 2011 · If you wanted to describe the sound of a small brass bell that you can hold in your hand (this is an example image of what I mean - what word would you use? Brrring? Bling?
What does "hell's bells" refer to? - English Language & Usage …
Aug 24, 2020 · The expression "hell's bells" conveys anger, irritation, or surprise, according to CED, MW etc, but they do not explain the origin. Were there bells in hell? What is …
A figure of speech to illustrate the irreversibility of an action
May 2, 2016 · Personally I like "You can't unring that bell" as deadrat mentioned above. The phrase refers to the fact that you can't un-hear a bell that has been rung. There's a nice essay …
Idiom similar to "saved by the bell" - English Language & Usage …
Jul 2, 2023 · Oxford Languages gives two senses for ' [be] saved by the bell: ' escape from a difficult situation narrowly or by an unexpected intervention.' 'or' should of course be 'and/or'. …
orthography - Bell crank, bell-crank or bellcrank? - English …
May 28, 2024 · The first form, " bell crank " tells me that we are talking about a crank which turns/actuates a bell. The second form " bell-crank " tells me that we are talking about bell …
nouns - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Sep 7, 2018 · Tolling usually refers to one bell being sounded at intervals. The carillon referred to by Theresa is something different, where a machine makes the bells play a tune. Some church …