What is the origin of the phrase dead ringer?

People would be buried with a rope leading from inside the coffin to a bell above the ground. This enabled anyone who was buried alive to ring the bell and to draw attention to the mistake. Since people would not expect to see their 'dead' loved ones again, a person resembling the deceased is a 'dead ringer'. This is also reputed to be the origin of the expression 'graveyard shift' because people from the village used to take it in turns to listen for the bell.

First answer by ID1276840554. Last edit by The Bean. Contributor trust: 0 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 2 [recommend question]