ding-dong ditch

noun

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.

Similar
knick-knocknigger knockingknock-knock gingernicky-nicky-nine-doorsknicky-knocky-nine-doors
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Meanings

nounding-dong ditch (uncountable)

alternative ding dong ditch · alternative ding-dong-ditch · alternative ding-dong-ditch-it · alternative Ding Dong Ditch

  1. CanadaUSuncountableA 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.

    Synonyms: knick-knock, nigger knocking

verbding-dong ditch (third-person singular simple present ding-dong ditches, present participle ding-dong ditching, simple past and past participle ding-dong ditched)

present singular third person ding-dong ditches · participle present ding-dong ditching · participle past ding-dong ditched · past ding-dong ditched · alternative ding dong ditch · alternative ding-dong-ditch · alternative ding-dong-ditch-it · alternative Ding Dong Ditch

  1. ambitransitiveTo perform such a prank.

    Synonyms: knock-knock ginger, nicky-nicky-nine-doors, knicky-knocky-nine-doors

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA 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.

Similar
knick-knocknigger knocking

verbTo perform such a prank.

Similar
knock-knock gingernicky-nicky-nine-doorsknicky-knocky-nine-doors
Also see
knick-knockknock down ginger

Origin

From ding-dong (“sound made by a door bell”) + ditch (“to abandon”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch belletje trekken, belletje lellen
  • belletje trekkenringing someone's door bell and running away
  • belletje lellenringing someone's door bell and running away
French sonne-décrisse
  • sonne-décrisseringing someone's door bell and running away
German Klingelmännchen, Klingelstreich
  • Klingelmännchenringing someone's door bell and running away
  • Klingelstreichringing someone's door bell and running away
  • Klingelputzenringing someone's door bell and running away
  • Klingelpostringing someone's door bell and running away
  • einen Klingelstreich spielento perform such a prank
Japanese ピンポンダッシュ, ピンポンダッシュする
  • ピンポンダッシュ (pin-pon dasshu)ringing someone's door bell and running away
  • ピンポンダッシュする (pinpon dasshu suru)to perform such a prank
Korean 벨튀, 벨튀하다
  • 벨튀 (beltwi)ringing someone's door bell and running away
  • 벨튀하다 (beltwihada)to perform such a prank
Norwegian ring-på-spring, ring-på-stikk-av
  • ring-på-springringing someone's door bell and running away
  • ring-på-stikk-avringing someone's door bell and running away
Russian стучать и убегать
  • стучать и убегать (stučatʹ i ubegatʹ)ringing someone's door bell and running away
Spanish rin rin raje, rin rin corre corre
  • rin rin rajeringing someone's door bell and running away
  • rin rin corre correringing someone's door bell and running away
Cite this entry
APA

ding-dong ditch. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ding-dong%20ditch

MLA

“ding-dong ditch.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ding-dong%20ditch. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ding-dong ditch,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ding-dong%20ditch.

Source: ding-dong ditch on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.