Death, Finality of
Death, Finality of
- As the cloud is consumed and vanished away: so he that goes down to the grave comes up no more —The Holy Bible/Job
’Goes’ is a modernization of the biblical ‘goeth.’
- Dead and as far away as yesterday —W. S. Gilbert
- Dead as a dead mackerel —C. W. Grafton
- Dead as a dodo bird —American colloquialism, attributed to New England
- Dead as a doornail —English phrase
Many people attribute this much used simile to Shakespeare who used it in Henry VI and Henry IV In the first play the simile appears as follows: “If I do not leave you all as dead as a doornail, I pray God I may never eat grass more.” In the second, Falstaff asks, “What, is the old king dead?” and Pistol answers, “As a nail in a door.”
- Dead as a fried oyster —S.J. Perelman
This is one of four different twists on the familiar “Dead as a doornail” from Perelman’s spoof on cliches, Somewhere a Roscoe. The others used are “Dead as an iced catfish,” “Dead as a stuffed mongoose,” and “Dead as vaudeville.”
- Dead as a hammer —Scotch saying
- Dead as a herring —Samuel Butler
- Dead as a turd —Stephen King
- Deader than a roast turkey on Thanksgiving —Joan Hess
- Dead as last year’s leaves —W. S. Gilbert
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.