Sophia Delgado
The idiom 'dead as a doornail' is used to describe something that is unequivocally deceased. The phrase dates back to the 1300s, and was used by William Shakespeare in the 1500s and by Charles Dickens in *A Christmas Carol* in 1843. But where does the phrase come from?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Something is "not alive, truly unequivocally deceased" |
| Synonyms | Dead as a dodo, dead as a herring |
| Origin | Refers to costly metal nails hammered into the outer doors of the wealthy, which were clinched on the inside of the door and therefore could not be used again |
| Date | The idiom dates back to the 1300s and was used by William Shakespeare in the 1500s and by Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol in 1843 |
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What You'll Learn
The phrase 'dead as a door nail' means something is unequivocally deceased
The phrase 'dead as a doornail' means something is unequivocally deceased. The idiom dates back to the 1300s and was used by William Shakespeare in the 1500s and by Charles Dickens in *A Christmas Carol* in 1843. Nails used to be made by hand and were a valued commodity, often lasting much longer than the things they were used to build. Nails were often hammered into the outer doors of the wealthy, who could afford the costly metal. These nails were clinched on the inside of the door and therefore could not be used again, or 'dead'. The phrase is also used to mean something is finished, such as 'the radicalism she professed in her adolescence is now dead as a dodo'.
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The phrase dates back to the 1300s
The idiom “dead as a doornail” dates back to the 1300s, and was used by William Shakespeare in the 1500s and by Charles Dickens in *A Christmas Carol* in 1843. The phrase means that something is “not alive, truly unequivocally deceased”. But where does it come from?
When nails had to be made by hand, they were a valued commodity, and often had a lifespan much longer than the thing they were used to build. Nails were so valuable that stories exist of houses being burned down, just to recover the nails that were used in their construction. The phrase likely refers to the costly metal nails hammered into the outer doors of the wealthy. Most people used the much cheaper wooden pegs. These nails were clinched on the inside of the door and therefore were “dead”, that is, they could not be used again.
Another theory is that the phrase refers to the nails used in coffins. These nails were also clinched and could not be removed and reused.
The phrase has been used in English literature for centuries. As mentioned, Shakespeare used the phrase in the 1500s. Dickens used the phrase in *A Christmas Carol* in 1843.
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It was used by William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens
The idiom "dead as a doornail" means "not alive, truly unequivocally deceased". It dates back to the 1300s, and was used by William Shakespeare in the 1500s and by Charles Dickens in *A Christmas Carol* in 1843.
When nails had to be made by hand, they were a valued commodity, and often had a lifespan much longer than the thing they were used to build. Nails were often recovered from houses that were burned down. The phrase likely refers to the costly metal nails hammered into the outer doors of the wealthy, which were clinched on the inside of the door and therefore "dead", i.e. could not be used again. The phrase "dead as a herring", which dates from the 16th century, also alludes to the bad smell this dead fish gives off, making its death quite obvious.
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Nails were once a valued commodity
The phrase 'dead as a doornail' is an idiom that dates back to the 1300s. It was used by William Shakespeare in the 1500s and by Charles Dickens in *A Christmas Carol* in 1843. The phrase means that something is 'not alive, truly unequivocally deceased'. The phrase refers to the costly metal nails that were used in the doors of the wealthy.
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The phrase can also be used to refer to issues, not just people
The idiom 'dead as a doornail' dates back to the 1300s, and was used by William Shakespeare in the 1500s and by Charles Dickens in *A Christmas Carol* in 1843. The phrase means that something is unequivocally deceased.
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Frequently asked questions
It means that something is unequivocally deceased.
The phrase dates back to the 1300s, when nails were made by hand and were a valued commodity. Nails often had a lifespan much longer than the thing they were used to build, so the phrase refers to the costly metal nails hammered into the outer doors of the wealthy, which were clinched on the inside of the door and therefore 'dead' and unable to be used again.
The phrase has been used by William Shakespeare in the 1500s and by Charles Dickens in *A Christmas Carol* in 1843.
'Dead as a dodo' or 'dead as a herring'.
