"ding-dong ditch" meaning in English

See ding-dong ditch in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: ding dong ditch [alternative], ding-dong-ditch [alternative], ding-dong-ditch-it [alternative], Ding Dong Ditch [alternative]
Etymology: From ding-dong (“sound made by a door bell”) + ditch (“to abandon”). Head templates: {{en-noun|-}} ding-dong ditch (uncountable)
  1. (US, Canada) A children's prank in which a doorbell of a home is rung, and then the pranksters run or cycle away before the occupants of the home open the door. Tags: Canada, US, uncountable
    Sense id: en-ding-dong_ditch-en-noun-tjL99SR1 Categories (other): American English, Canadian English, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Korean translations, Terms with Norwegian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 59 41 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 57 43 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 55 45 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 56 44 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 61 39 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 59 41 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 63 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 62 38 Disambiguation of Terms with Korean translations: 70 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian translations: 69 31 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 62 38 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 58 42

Verb

Forms: ding-dong ditches [present, singular, third-person], ding-dong ditching [participle, present], ding-dong ditched [participle, past], ding-dong ditched [past], ding dong ditch [alternative], ding-dong-ditch [alternative], ding-dong-ditch-it [alternative], Ding Dong Ditch [alternative]
Etymology: From ding-dong (“sound made by a door bell”) + ditch (“to abandon”). Head templates: {{en-verb}} ding-dong ditch (third-person singular simple present ding-dong ditches, present participle ding-dong ditching, simple past and past participle ding-dong ditched)
  1. (ambitransitive) To perform such a prank. Tags: ambitransitive Synonyms: knock-knock ginger [UK], nicky nicky nine doors [Canada] Translations (ringing someone's door bell and running away): belletje trekken (Dutch), belletje lellen (Dutch), sonne-décrisse [Quebec, masculine] (French), Klingelmännchen [neuter] (German), Klingelstreich [masculine] (German), Klingelputzen [neuter] (German), Klingelpost [feminine] (German), ピンポンダッシュ (pin-pon dasshu) (Japanese), 벨튀 (beltwi) (Korean), ring-på-spring (Norwegian), ring-på-stikk-av (Norwegian), стучать и убегать (stučatʹ i ubegatʹ) (Russian), rin rin raje (Spanish), rin rin corre corre (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-ding-dong_ditch-en-verb-5DatgZ4H Categories (other): Pages with 1 entry Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 55 45

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_text": "From ding-dong (“sound made by a door bell”) + ditch (“to abandon”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ding dong ditch",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong-ditch",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong-ditch-it",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "Ding Dong Ditch",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "ding-dong ditch (uncountable)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Canadian English",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "59 41",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
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            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "57 43",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
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        {
          "_dis": "55 45",
          "kind": "other",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "56 44",
          "kind": "other",
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        {
          "_dis": "61 39",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "59 41",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "63 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "62 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "70 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Korean translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "69 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Norwegian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "62 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "58 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A children's prank in which a doorbell of a home is rung, and then the pranksters run or cycle away before the occupants of the home open the door."
      ],
      "id": "en-ding-dong_ditch-en-noun-tjL99SR1",
      "links": [
        [
          "children",
          "children"
        ],
        [
          "prank",
          "prank"
        ],
        [
          "doorbell",
          "doorbell"
        ],
        [
          "rung",
          "ring"
        ],
        [
          "prankster",
          "prankster"
        ],
        [
          "run",
          "run"
        ],
        [
          "cycle",
          "cycle"
        ],
        [
          "occupant",
          "occupant"
        ],
        [
          "open",
          "open"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, Canada) A children's prank in which a doorbell of a home is rung, and then the pranksters run or cycle away before the occupants of the home open the door."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Ding dong ditch"
  ],
  "word": "ding-dong ditch"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "From ding-dong (“sound made by a door bell”) + ditch (“to abandon”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ding-dong ditches",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong ditching",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong ditched",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong ditched",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding dong ditch",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong-ditch",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong-ditch-it",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "Ding Dong Ditch",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "ding-dong ditch (third-person singular simple present ding-dong ditches, present participle ding-dong ditching, simple past and past participle ding-dong ditched)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "55 45",
          "kind": "other",
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        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To perform such a prank."
      ],
      "id": "en-ding-dong_ditch-en-verb-5DatgZ4H",
      "links": [
        [
          "perform",
          "perform"
        ],
        [
          "prank",
          "prank"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(ambitransitive) To perform such a prank."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "UK"
          ],
          "word": "knock-knock ginger"
        },
        {
          "tags": [
            "Canada"
          ],
          "word": "nicky nicky nine doors"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "word": "belletje trekken"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "word": "belletje lellen"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "tags": [
            "Quebec",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "sonne-décrisse"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Klingelmännchen"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Klingelstreich"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Klingelputzen"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Klingelpost"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "pin-pon dasshu",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "word": "ピンポンダッシュ"
        },
        {
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "beltwi",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "word": "벨튀"
        },
        {
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "word": "ring-på-spring"
        },
        {
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "word": "ring-på-stikk-av"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "stučatʹ i ubegatʹ",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "word": "стучать и убегать"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "word": "rin rin raje"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
          "word": "rin rin corre corre"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Ding dong ditch"
  ],
  "word": "ding-dong ditch"
}
{
  "categories": [
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    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Korean translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From ding-dong (“sound made by a door bell”) + ditch (“to abandon”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ding dong ditch",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong-ditch",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong-ditch-it",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "Ding Dong Ditch",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "ding-dong ditch (uncountable)",
      "name": "en-noun"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "Canadian English"
      ],
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        "A children's prank in which a doorbell of a home is rung, and then the pranksters run or cycle away before the occupants of the home open the door."
      ],
      "links": [
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          "children",
          "children"
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        [
          "rung",
          "ring"
        ],
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          "prankster",
          "prankster"
        ],
        [
          "run",
          "run"
        ],
        [
          "cycle",
          "cycle"
        ],
        [
          "occupant",
          "occupant"
        ],
        [
          "open",
          "open"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, Canada) A children's prank in which a doorbell of a home is rung, and then the pranksters run or cycle away before the occupants of the home open the door."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Ding dong ditch"
  ],
  "word": "ding-dong ditch"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
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    "English nouns",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Korean translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From ding-dong (“sound made by a door bell”) + ditch (“to abandon”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ding-dong ditches",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong ditching",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong ditched",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong ditched",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding dong ditch",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong-ditch",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ding-dong-ditch-it",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "Ding Dong Ditch",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "ding-dong ditch (third-person singular simple present ding-dong ditches, present participle ding-dong ditching, simple past and past participle ding-dong ditched)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To perform such a prank."
      ],
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        [
          "perform",
          "perform"
        ],
        [
          "prank",
          "prank"
        ]
      ],
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        "(ambitransitive) To perform such a prank."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ],
      "word": "knock-knock ginger"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Canada"
      ],
      "word": "nicky nicky nine doors"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "word": "belletje trekken"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "word": "belletje lellen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "tags": [
        "Quebec",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sonne-décrisse"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Klingelmännchen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Klingelstreich"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Klingelputzen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Klingelpost"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "pin-pon dasshu",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "word": "ピンポンダッシュ"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "beltwi",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "word": "벨튀"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "word": "ring-på-spring"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "word": "ring-på-stikk-av"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "stučatʹ i ubegatʹ",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "word": "стучать и убегать"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "word": "rin rin raje"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "ringing someone's door bell and running away",
      "word": "rin rin corre corre"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Ding dong ditch"
  ],
  "word": "ding-dong ditch"
}

Download raw JSONL data for ding-dong ditch meaning in English (5.4kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-13 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-03-02 using wiktextract (f074e77 and 633533e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.