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Dead ringer

Dead ringer

Meaning

An exact duplicate.

Examples

I can’t tell the twins apart. They’re dead ringers of each other.

Where did it originate?

American, late 19th century.

Where is it used?

Most common in the USA, but used worldwide too.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Dead ringer

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