Question

Ring a Bell to sound familiar; to call something to mind; to stir a vague memory

Accepted Answer

I don't remember her face, but her name rings a bell. This American idiom from the early 1900s suggests that there are many bells that ring to remind or instruct us to do things: doorbell (open the door), telephone bell (pick up the phone), school bell (come to class), toaster bell (take out the toast), clothes dryer bell (take out the clothes), and so on. So, if something such as a face, a name, a number, or a date "rings a bell," it causes you to remember something.

Idiom	Ring a Bell
Example	I don't remember her face, but her name rings a bell.
Meaning	to sound familiar; to call something to mind; to stir a vague memory
Origin	This American idiom from the early 1900s suggests that there are many bells that ring to remind or instruct us to do things: doorbell (open the door), telephone bell (pick up the phone), school bell (come to class), toaster bell (take out the toast), clothes dryer bell (take out the clothes), and so on. So, if something such as a face, a name, a number, or a date "rings a bell," it causes you to remember something.

Bell Ring Remember Face I Sound Familiar Call