Dead ringer
Meaning
Someone or something that looks exactly like another person or thing.
Origin
In the high-stakes world of late 19th-century American horse racing, unscrupulous gamblers and trainers engaged in a notorious scam: substituting a faster, often unknown horse for a slower, legitimate entry. The trick was to find an imposter that looked uncannily identical to the genuine article. When the switch was flawlessly executed, the fraudulent horse was an exact match, a 'dead ringer,' ensuring a near-certain, though dishonest, victory. This vivid phrase, born from the dust and daring deceptions of the racetrack, soon galloped into general use to describe any striking resemblance.
Examples
- When I met her cousin, I realized she was a dead ringer for her grandmother at that age.
- The new lead singer of the band is a dead ringer for the original vocalist, which really helps their tribute act.