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You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Phrase “I’ll Be There With Bells On” Come From and What Does it Mean?

Where Did the Phrase “I’ll Be There With Bells On” Come From and What Does it Mean?

June 27, 2020 by Karen Hill

During the frontier days, peddlers travelling between settlements had to move as silently as possible through the hostile forest.

But when they approached a homestead or town they would take out their muffled bells and hang them on their horses’ necks to announce their arrival.

The peddlers’ arrival “with bells on” brought news, letters, and goods from the outside world, and was an exciting event for the isolated settlers.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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