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Old December 01, 2009, 10:30 AM
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Rusty Rusty is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: USA
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Native Language: American English
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@pjt33: Hmmm. I'm not a linguist, but for what's it's worth, here are my

The noun 'jingle bell' is a particular type of bell. It is also known as a 'sleigh bell', which happens to be a noun composed of two words, too. It's possible that the 'sleigh' in 'sleigh bell' could be an adjective, a verb, or a noun. No dictionary I checked gave an etymology. It would be my guess that the 'jingle' in 'jingle bell' could also be an adjective, a verb, or a noun. The Random House dictionary says the word was coined around 1885.

Jingle bells can be bought in any city of America. You can buy a single bell, or you can buy them in a group. Many people hang them on walls, doors, doorknobs, or on a horse's harness.
Bands and orchestras buy a group of jingle bells mounted on a wood block with a handle. The percussionist holds the handle with one hand, the jingle bells hanging downward, and bounces the block into the palm of his/her other hand to make the bells ring.

My take on the song "Jingle Bells" is not the same as yours. I hear "Jingle bells (noun), Jingle bells (noun), Jingle (present tense 3rd-person plural verb) all the way." "Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!"
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