What Is The Origin Of The Phrase "Dead Ringer"?

Phrases are often used by people, but very rarely do they know the exact meaning of the phrase.  The phrase "dead ringer" factually means 'exact duplicate'. This phrase originated at the end of the 19th century, in a US horse-racing organization. The word ringer is defined in a print of the Manitoba Free Press from October 1882 in the following words: "A horse that is taken through the country and trotted under a false name and pedigree is called a 'ringer.' " The word DEAD in this phrase has a very strong meaning; it refers to exact or precise. The initial reference that confirms the meaning of this phrase is, from the Oshkosh Weekly Times, June 1888, which reported an article about a court report, where a man was charged as being "very drunk".

Urban legend would have it that people were buried very quickly in times of plagues, some were not checked to see if they were really dead, so they tied a string to a bell on the surface of the grave.  People who listened for the bells were said to be on the graveyard shift.  If the bell rang, then the "dead ringer" would be dug up.  People seeing the person who was thought dead would say "that man must be a dead ringer" for so-and-so.  Another version of the origin is when a famous bell ringer once got sick he had his brother ring the church bells for him.  One day the brother of the famous ringer fell to his death.  Someone looked at his body and said he was "a dead ringer" for his brother.