Green’s Dictionary of Slang

in an energetic, if chaotic, manner.

a.1661		‘The Rebellion’ in Rump Poems and Songs i (1662)291: Truth is the spell that made us rebel, / And murder and plunder ding dong.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Ding-dong helter-skelter.
1715		‘Nickydemus Ninnyhammer’ Homer in a nut-shell 25: Who had no sooner heard the Song, / But they came crowding in ding-dong.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1759–67		Sterne Tristram Shandy (1949) 180: It is not a three-penny piece the worse; – pell mell, helter skelter, ding dong, cut and thrust.
1768		A. Ross Helenore in Wattie Scot. Works (1938) 38: She’ll nae be lang her lane: / Her rigs’ll gar the wooers come ding-dang.
1772		Bridges Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 101: Her passion rose, and she ding dong, / Would quarrel with him, right or wrong.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Ding dong, helter skelter, in a hasty disorderly manner.
1797		Bridges Burlesque Homer (4th edn) II 334: His crabtree stick he long / Rattled about his ears ding-dong. [Ibid.] II 409: Ding-dong / Lets fly his broomstick.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1824		Annals of Sporting 1 Mar. 175: Then in due time they met and went at it ding-dong.
1845		Bell’s Life in Sydney 6 Sept. 4/3: He had resolved to go in ding dong, and stand upon no out-fighting tactics.
1853		N.Y. Clipper n.p.: They [...] hit away ding dong .
1855		(con. 1839) Fights for the Championship 146: To it they went, ding-dong.
1867		R. Whiteing Mr Sprouts, His Opinions 33: Then they all let one another ’ave it ding dong — ’ammer an’ tongs, o’ both sides.
1918		C.J. Dennis ‘Over The Fence’ in Chisholm (1951) 98: ’E decorates ’is answers, an’ we’re goin’ it ding-dong, / When this returned Bloke, Digger Smith, comes saunterin’ along.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 321: So anyway when I got back they were at it dingdong.