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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News AP Entertainment Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend January 5, 2007 Since You Asked I am a writing instructor at RCC and am also that rare bird, an English English teacher. As such, I am fascinated by the variants in American usage. Your column contained the phrase "run through the ringer." Is this a time-honored American childhood game, and if so, could you elaborate upon its origins? What was the "ringer"? The phrase has an echo (excuse the pun) of the British term referring to a metaphorical torment, which is written "through the wringer." -- Cheers, Colin Apparently you've never heard of Blammo's "Run Through the Ringer" game, which is something like dodge ball but with oversized iron horseshoes. As youths we paired it with Lawn Darts — banned here since 1988 but still marketed as "Crown Darts" in your jolly old England. Good eye, Colin. That red glow is the blush of embarrassment hot on our collective cheek. Run "through the wringer" is the expression a Since You Asked writer was looking for. The penance for the error, as you might have guessed, was three rounds of "Run Through the Ringer." The "wringer" was an assembly of two large rollers on early washing machines. Even earlier a hand-cranked wringer was used with washboards and tubs. In both cases, the wringer's function was to pull clothing through the rollers to wring or squeeze water out of them. The danger is obvious. Those who got a finger, or worse, their hair, caught in the wringer, no doubt appreciated the aptness of the phrase. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com