welcome, beanie!

here's what I found at Bartleby:


Dead as a door-nail. The door-nail is the plate or knob on which the knocker or hammer strikes. As this nail is knocked on the head several times a day, it cannot be supposed to have much life left in it. 1
“Come thou and thy five men, and if I do not leave you all as dead as a door-nail, I pray God I may never eat grass more.”—Shakespeare: 2 Henry VI., iv. 10. (Jack Cade.)

“Falstaff. What! is the old king dead?
Pistol. As nail in door.”

Shakespeare: 2 Henry IV., v. 3.
Dead as a herring. (See HERRING.)

there will be more, I'm sure...


formerly known as etaoin...