Ringer:
A dead ringer for someone is another person who has a great resemblance
to that person. The word 'ringer' originally described a horse used to
illegally substitute for another in a race. Why 'ringer' is used has
almost defeated my researches; one possibility is that the word, which
was once slang for 'counterfeit', was derived from the brass rings sold
as gold at country fairs. Another possibility is that it derives from
‘ringing the changes', a phrase used in bell ringing. 'Dead', in this
instance is used in the sense of abrupt or exact, like in 'dead stop',
or 'dead shot'.
An alternative explanation comes from medieval times. In order to make
sure that a buried person was actually dead, a string was sometimes
tied to the deceased's wrist and attached to a bell above ground. If he
was merely unconscious and woke up, he was able to ring the bell and
draw attention to himself - he was a 'dead ringer'. Personally, I don't
like this one much, as it has little to do with current usage. However,
it could still be the basis, since it has been suggested that someone
having a close resemblance to a deceased person was regarded as being
the 'dead ringer'.
Rise: To take the rise out of someone is to make them look daft or
easily fooled. The allusion here is to fishing where casting a fly on
the water will tempt fish to rise to take the bait, if they're daft
enough to do so.
River: To be sold down the river is to be misled or to have a promise
broken. The phrase comes from the USA where, in the 1800s, rich house
owners would sell their unwanted black house servants to be slaves on
the plantations. The servants would leave the relative comforts of the
big houses to be shipped down the river (the Mississippi) to the
hardship of the plantations.
To
be sent up the river was originally an underworld term for a sentence
in a reformatory or jail. According to 'Morris Dictionary of Word and
Phrase Origins' by William and Mary Morris, it probably derives from
the fact that New York State's most famous prison, Sing Sing, is 'up
the river' from New York City.
Rob: If you rob Peter to pay Paul you are benefiting one enterprise or
person at the expense of another. One version of the origin dates to
the rivalry between St Paul's Cathedral and St Peter's Church,
Westminster starting in 1540. The church at Westminster became a
cathedral at that time; in consequence St Paul's lost some of its
revenue. Ten years later St Peter's status was revoked and it became a
church again, much to the benefit of St Paul's. Peter had been robbed
to pay Paul.
However nice this story, it isn't the basis. The expression was in use
as early as 1380 and a similar one is recorded in the 1170s. It is also
known in French and German. The truth is that the origin has been lost
in the mist of time.
Robinson: Before you can say "Jack Robinson" is a way of expressing
immediacy; something will be done straight away. There is one suggested
origin involving the habit of an eccentric gentleman who was renowned
for his constant change of mind. He often abandoned a social call and
you had to be quick to catch Jack Robinson. This is the origin given in
1811.
The French have an even less likely version. In the old days Robinson
(from Robinson Crusoe) was a popular name for an umbrella. When these
umbrellas were first introduced they were highly fashionable. The story
goes that the gentry, at the first sign of rain, would call their
servant, inevitably named Jacques, to raise the umbrella. The call was,
of course, one of "Jacques, Robinson!"
The reader may take or leave these offerings as they please.
There is a third possibility, one which I find the most acceptable.
Between 1660 and 1679 the Officer Commanding the Tower of London was
one Sir John Robinson. It may be that the speed of beheading with an
axe, something regularly done in the Tower at that time, may be the
basis, Jack being a well known form of John.
Rocker: If someone is off his rocker, then he is thought to be a little
mad or deluded. I can find no documentary evidence for the origin of
this saying, and none is forthcoming from the SHU Phrase Discussion
site. However, it has been suggested that it came from early days of
steam engine development....in particular beam engines....the beam
engine rocks back and forth and if it comes off the pivot (rocker) it
goes mad, flailing about and smashing up everything about it.
Another possibility - not very convincing to my mind - is that it
describes the antics of some having just fallen off a rocking chair!
Rope: It's money for old rope suggests that a task or problem can be
executed with great ease, without much effort. This is another with a
nautical background. The story goes that sailors in port, and short of
cash, would go into the hold of their ships and dig out lengths of old
rope which they would sell to passers by - not much effort for a
certain reward. See also slush fund.
Ropes: To learn the ropes is to gain a skill in something. It derives
from the days of sail when young, inexperienced sailors had to be
taught the skills of dealing with the many sorts of rope found on the
ships of those times.
Run: A dry run. This is a way of describing a rehearsal for an event,
prior to the actual event. 'Run' is often used as a way of describing
the actual event itself, like a 'theatrical run' of a play or show.
But, why 'dry'? The origin here is not clear. The first 'dry runs' were
actually dry - water courses in summer, but this doesn't
explain the theatrical, and similar, uses. It seems that the saying is
likely to have come out of WW2, where some difficult bombing missions
were practised beforehand over friendly terrain and minus bombs, before
the actual raid took place.
A similar expression came out of the War - a 'milk run' - a mission so
easy and danger free that it was likened to delivering milk to an end
point. James Michener in his 'Tales from the South Pacific' included a
story called 'The Milk Run' about routine air cargo drops during the
War.
