English
Etymology
Possibly from a mmisinterpretation or misunderstanding of the expression dead as a doornail. See usage notes below.
Idiom
as dead as a (doorknob)
- simile Entirely, unquestionably or certainly dead.
#:I tried the flashlight, but the battery was as dead as a doorknob.
#:I found the mouse who lived in our wall, lying on his back with his feet in the air—as dead as a doorknob.
Usage notes
Many other nouns can be substituted for "doorknob", perhaps the oldest being "doornail" from William Shakespeare, in Henry VI, Part 2, act 4, sc. 10, l. 40-1. Jack Cade. Also in A Christmas Carol. Other common forms include doormat, dodo, rock, graveyard.
Translations
trans-top|Very dead
Finnish: kuollut kuin kivi
trans-mid
trans-bottom
External links
google it
Category:Death
Category:English similes
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