Explanation: A bell is used to alert us of many things such as a door bell, telephone bell, school bell, clothes dryer bell, etc. When we hear the bell, we know what the bell represents. To ring a bell became a way of saying that you remember something. Another explanation comes from Pavlov. He created an experiment where he rang a bell before he gave food to a dog. He did this repeatedly and the dog started to drool before he saw any food because the dog knew the food would come after the bell rang.
I can't put my finger on it, but it definitely rings a bell.
It rings a bell, but I'm not one hundred percent sure.
Oh, oh, oh... that rings a bell. Where did I see that from?
A:
Did you go to Martha Lake High School?
B:
Yeah. Why?
A:
I met this girl. Her name is Jane Summerland. Do you know her?
B:
That name rings a bell, but I don't remember for sure.
Other Common Sentences
That reminds me of something.
That sounds so familiar.
I know what you're talking about but I can't pin point it.