Stone dead

Posted by R. Berg on August 20, 2001

In Reply to: Stone dead. posted by Anton on August 20, 2001

: Why do we use the saying stone dead?

Because a stone illustrates hardness so well and hence serves "as an emblem of insensibility, stupidity, deadness or the like" (Oxford English Dictionary). Example from about the year 1300: "He fel dun ded as ston" (same source).