Wiktionary
vb. 1 To make patterned sound sequences on bells, starting and ending on the same tone. 2 (senseid en all_patterns) To run through all possible variations. 3 (context slang UK 19th century and earlier English) To substitute bad money for good. 4 (context UK English) To enliven by varying combinations.
Usage examples of "ring the changes".
Any sexually selected ornament would have done, and I had a whim to ring the changes and avoid the ubiquitous (in discussions of sexual selection) peacock.
For besides having my pencil still (of which I say nothing for the moment) she has now three separate themes upon which to ring the changes—.
Most of the themes were quite banal: the machine would play one, then ring the changes on it bar after bar until it had exhausted all the possibilities before going on to the next.
The situation can't be worse than it is at present, and when he shows his hand again, given a spot of luck, we might be able to ring the changes on him yet.