In the expression "Dead as a doornail", what is a doornail?

Answer

Door-nails are the large-headed studs that were used in earlier times for strength and more recently as decoration. The practice was to hammer the nail through and then bend over the protruding end to secure it. This may be the source of the 'deadness', as such a nail would be unusable afterwards

Source: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/38250.html

  • Last Updated Nov 28, 2018
  • Views 30
  • Answered By Kevin Bligh

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