Glossary of ringing terms – D

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Words or phrases underlined are defined within the glossary. Where it assists with clarity, a definition is annotated to indicate a part of speech. (n) = noun, (vb) = verb, (adj) = adjective, (adv) = adverb. Section references refer to sections within The Tower Handbook.  

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DA

Diocesan Association

DAC

Diocesan Advisory Committee

Date touch

A touch whose length is the same as the year it commemorates, usually the year in which it is rung, but sometimes the year of a historic event eg rung on the centenary of the event. Date touches for the current year are most commonly rung on or near New Year's Day.

De Minimis (regulations or list)

List of minor works that may be undertaken without a faculty or Archdeacon's Certificate – varies from diocese to diocese

Dead

A bell hung dead is fixed and struck by a hammer, not hung for swinging.

Decisions, The 

CC Decisions (now superseded by the Framework for Method Ringing).

Deep set

A bell whose stay and slider position allow it to go a long way past the balance at hand and/or backstroke, and which therefore requires considerably more effort when stood to raise it to the balance and pull off.

Delight

A class of Treble Bob method in which internal places are made at some but not all cross sections.

Devon style ringing

Style of ringing common in Devon. The bells are rung closed lead, below the balance, with set sequences of called changes rather than methods. Performances normally include the rise top ringing and fall.

Devon call changes

Call change ringing using set sequences, as commonly practised in Devon.

Devon tail

Tail end terminated in a spliced loop 12–18" long. In use the ringer's lower (normally left) hand passes through the loop to grip the rope around the splice. Found in Devon call change towers.

DG

Diocesan Guild

Diagram(s)

(1) The course of a method written out in full.
(2) Abbreviation for Standard Methods Diagrams by WJ Snowdon (1881).

Diary (The)

The Ringing World Diary. Published annually, it contains information on methods, ringing organisations, suppliers of ringing related goods and services, etc.

Differential

A type of method in which the working bells are in groups that have different cycles of work. The number of bells in the groups must be relatively prime (ie have no common factors). By convention when there are two groups the line for the larger group is a blue line, and that for the smaller group a red line. Differential methods have been rung to Doubles, Triples and Major. Normal methods can be considered as special cases of the differential system, where there are two groups and the smaller group has only one member (two for twin hunt methods).

Differential hunter

A type of method with one or more hunt bellin which the working bells do not all do the same work in the plain course, or in which the number of leads is different from the number of working bells.

dingle (or dingler)

Pivoted metal peg on the end of a Hastings stay that engages with the fixed slider.

 Diocesan Advisory Committee

Group with expertise in aspects of church fabric like bells and organs plus architects and structural engineers that provides advice to the Chancellor of a diocese about faculty applications

Diocesan Bells Advisor

Bells advisor (the the DAC)

District

Alternative name for Branch.

Dixons

A rule based method where a place is made in 2nds when the Treble leads and a place is made in 4ths when either 2 or 4 lead, but otherwise all bells hunt.

DNCB(M)

Double Norwich Court Bob (Major).

Dodge

(1) (Strictly) Taking a retrograde step in the middle of a portion of hunting.
(2) (Colloquially) The pattern of work consisting of this and the two adjacent changes of hunting, ie taking one step forward, one backwards and one forward. If the dodge is between making places, the distinction is a fine one. See figure 15.2-2
The retrograde step occurs at backstroke or handstroke depending on whether the hunting interrupted is forward or backward, and whether it is in an odd or even dodging place. Confusingly there are two conflicting views on whether the dodge is right or wrong, see the diagrams in 15,5

Dodging places

A pair of adjacent places where a dodge can take place. 3-4 3-4, 5-6, etc are even dodging places. 4-5, 6-7, etc are odd dodging places.

Double

(1) A call that does not alter the nature of the resultant row compared to what it would have been without the call, and swaps two pairs of bells in the coursing order. eg place notation 123456 instead of 12 or 17890ET instead of 1T
(2) See double method
(3) (v) Bobbing action of the sally, as in 'when the sally starts to double'. Common in Devon.

Double Bob

A double method based on Plain Bob

Double change

A change in which two pairs of bells exchange positions.

Double clappering

(1) (Abnormal) When the clapper bounces from the bell to strike a second time.
(2) (Normal) When the clapper swings alternately to strike first one side of the bell then the other (as in normal ringing when the bell is up). A heavy bell takes longer to start double clappering when being raised.

Double court

The simplest double method in which Court places are made (Minor).

Double dodge

Two consecutive dodges, performed by the same two bells. See figure 15.2-3

Double extent 

A touch that contains every row at the stage being rung once at handstroke and once at backstroke

Double handed

Ringing two bells at once, one with each hand. The term is mainly used for tower bells, where ringing two is exceptional. Handbells are normally rung two in hand, so this is not normally stated explicitly.

Double method

A method whose structure is identical if reversed, ie places 123456 are exchanged with places 654321. The blue line of a double method is its own mirror image, but shifted to start at a different point.

Double Norwich

A plain method (basic stagemajor) related to double court minor. Its odd bellextensions add a treble, giving places that span more than two positions (eg 3 - 5). Double Norwich Caters uses callsmade on the front as the treblehuntsup.

Double struck

Alternative name for whole pull changes.

Double symmetry

Symmetry of a method whose structure is identical if reversed, ie the changes are all inverted – the symmetry possessed by a double method.

Double with a single

Double the length of a touch by introducing a single and then repeating all the other calls and the single.

Doubles

The stage name for methods with five working bells. Doubles methods can consist entirely of double changes.

Doubles variations

See variations. Variations are more commonly rung in Doubles than on higher numbers.

Dove

Popular name for A Bell Ringer's Guide to the Church Bells of Britain, and Ringing Peals of the World, compiled by Ronald H Dove.

Down

(adj) A bell is down when hanging mouth downwards
(adv) A bell moves down when hunting towards the front.

Down knot

A knot that will not untie if pulled. Used to stop the tail end falling to the floor when the bell is down. Normally either a bowline or an up knot with the end tucked through the loop.

Downwards

Call used to initiate lowering in peal

Draught

Length of rope (from bell frame to ringing room floor).

Drawn

A bellrope is drawn when it is made to run out of the vertical by guides, pulleys or chutes

Drop

A bell drops when it spontaneously swings significantly less high than it was the previous stroke. This may be caused by worn bearings, inadequate lubrication, or movement of the bell frame or tower.

Drum

(vb) Colloquial term for cover.

Duffield

A principle for even numbers with hunting between 3rds and 6ths, and double dodging in pairs of places above this and on the front.

Dumbbell

A weight hung on fittings similar to a bell hung for full circle ringing. Commonly fitted with a sensor for use with a simulator, or to practice bell handling.

 Dumb practice 

Silent practice

Dummy tail end

An aid used in teaching bell handling. A doubled piece of rope, one to one and a half feet long (300 - 400mm), that can be held instead of the real tail end while ringing the handstroke.

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