The Ring
Preserved but no longer current.
A phrase used in Australia in the early 19th century to describe a goaprf™ most hard-bitten convicts at the Norfolk Island penitentiary, who exercised an evil in- fluence over their fellows. This use of the word ante-dates by some" 30 years its employment m U.S.A.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Examples
Tatoeba sentence #11295190 (CC BY 2.0 FR, tatoeba.org, retrieved 2026-07-31)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Ring” mean?
A phrase used in Australia in the early 19th century to describe a goaprf™ most hard-bitten convicts at the Norfolk Island penitentiary, who exercised an evil in- fluence over their fellows. This use of the word ante-dates by some" 30 years its employment m U.S.A.
Is “The Ring” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.