ringer

A person or thing that bears a strong resemblance to someone or something else. Susie was such a dead ringer for Kate Winslet that sometimes people would ask her for her autograph.

To bear a strong resemblance to someone or something else. People sometimes ask Susie for her autograph because she is a dead ringer for Kate Winslet.

Fig. very closely similar in appearance to someone else. (*Typically: be ~; look like ~.) You are sure a dead ringer for my brother. Isn't he a ringer for Chuck?

(for someone) Go to a (dead) ringer (for someone).

someone or something that looks exactly like someone or something else Our waiter was a dead ringer for Humphrey Bogart. My silver-blue '64 Buick was a dead ringer for the one Sinatra drove in that movie.

to look very similar to someone or something He's a dead ringer for Bono from U2 - people often come up to him in the street and ask for his autograph.

A person or thing that closely resembles another; an exact counterpart. For example, Brian's a dead ringer for his Dad, or That red bike is a dead ringer for Mary's. [Late 1800s]

Subjected to a harsh scolding or punishment. Before washing machine spin cycles, excess water was squeezed out of hand-washed laundry by means of a wringer mounted on an agitator-type washing machine or a sink. The device was composed of two cylinders set close together and turned by a hand crank. Being put through the wringer could be hard on delicate clothing, and being put through the metaphorical wringer, such as being chewed out by your boss, isn't much fun either.