Dead as a doornail

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Meaning

Completely lifeless or finished, beyond any spark of revival.

Origin

From 14th-century England, tied to carpentry; doornails, clenched dead in wood, couldn't be reused, as in Langland's 1362 'Piers Plowman' calling faith 'dead as a doornail. ' Shakespeare's 1592 'Henry VI' boosted it. By the 19th century, Dickens' 1843 'Christmas Carol' nailed it, growing into a vivid idiom of total extinction.

Variants

  • As a doornail

Usage Examples

  • That old radio's dead as a doornail; no fixing it.
  • The deal's dead as a doornail after they backed out.
  • He's been dead as a doornail since the clock struck midnight.

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