Ring Knocker

[Bill Smith]

At 04:29 PM 10/3/01 -0400, you wrote:
>On Wed, 3 Oct 2001 15:35:23 -0400 "Douglas G. Wilson"
> >
> > I suppose a "ring knocker" is etymologically one who knocks with his
> > ring
> > (i.e., who shows it off by knocking with it on a door perhaps, or on
> > a
> > table to call a meeting to order), i.e., implicitly one who is
> > [excessively] proud of his academic background.

As I learned the term in the Naval Service (USMC), where they are called
"ring rappers," it refers to academy grads who, at staff meetings, rap
their rings on the table to show their "superiority" to OCS types.

Bill