Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a song; a (domestic) sing-song.

1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 142: DING DONG, a song.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. [as cit. 1859].
1873		Sl. Dict.
1900		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘A Hooligan in Love’ Sporting Times 17 Nov. 1/4: I love ’er, yus, I love ’er, as they say in the ding-dong.
1908		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘Significant Strains’ Sporting Times 9 May 1/3: For that automatic instrument dished out the old ‘ding dong,’ / ‘Still so gently o’er me stealing!’ and its notes were loud and strong.
1930		(con. 1910–20s) D. Mackenzie Hell’s Kitchen 118: Ding dong ... sing-song, a party.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks 31/1: Ding dong, a song.
1935		Thieves Slang ms list from District Police Training Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwicks n.p.: Ding Dong: Sing Song party.
1942		D. Runyon in Star (Marion, OH) 31 July 6/8: I sense allegory in the original ‘ding-dong’ meaning a song.
1953		J. Franklyn Cockney 294: To call one’s friends’ attention to the ding dong one is holding on Saturday night is more modest than to describe the gathering as a ‘sing-song’.
1958		(con. 1940s) B. Behan Borstal Boy 227: We had a ding-dong and all, sir.
1960		J. Franklyn Dict. of Rhy. Sl.
1971		J. Jones Rhy. Cockney Sl.
1979		R. Barker Fletcher’s Book of Rhy. Sl. 39: Having a bit of a ding-dong round the old Joanna.
2000		Indep. Rev. 18 Feb. 9: Does everyone have their private ding-dongs in the Vic?

2. (US) a bell, a gong.

1925		J. Stevens ‘Logger Talk’ in AS I:3 137: With the other loggers they ‘gang-up’ in front of the cookhouse and wait for the ‘ding-dong’.
1925		Odum & Johnson Negro and His Songs (1964) 253: Get up in mornin’ when ding-dong rings.
1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 62: Ding Dong. – A bell, usually a door-bell or one used to announce meals. A childish allusion, yet used generally by the older tramps.
1957		G. Kersh Fowlers End (2001) 269: I must die for the want o’ Johnny Rann, / No Little Nell shall be rung for / This Pope-o’-Romeless pot-’n-pan / My ding-dong has been sung for.