dead as a/the dodo

(as) dead as a dodo

Outdatedor unpopular. The "dodo" is an extinct bird. Although popular in the 1970s, disco music is as dead as a dodo today.
See also: dead, dodo
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

*dead as a dodo

 and *dead as a doornail; deader than a doornail
dead; no longer in existence. (*Also: as ~.) That silly old idea is dead as a dodo. When I tried to start my car this morning, I discovered that the battery was deader than a doornail.
See also: dead, dodo
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

dead as a dodo

BRITISH
If something is as dead as a dodo, it is no longer active or popular. The foreign exchange market was as dead as a dodo. Note: The dodo was a large flightless bird that lived on the islands of Mauritius and Réunion. It became extinct in the late 17th century as a result of hunting and the destruction of its nests by pigs belonging to settlers on the islands.
See also: dead, dodo
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

dead as a (or the) dodo

1 no longer alive. 2 no longer effective, valid, or interesting. informal
The name dodo comes from Portuguese duodo meaning ‘simpleton’. It was applied to the large flightless bird of Mauritius because the bird had no fear of man and so was easily killed, being quickly wiped out by visiting European sailors. The dodo's fate has made it proverbial for something that is long dead and the name has been used metaphorically for an old-fashioned, stupid, or unenlightened person since the 19th century.
2000 John Caughie Television Drama The once pleasant family hour is now as dead as a dodo.
See also: dead, dodo
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

(as) dead as a/the ˈdodo

(informal) no longer in existence; very old-fashioned: Old business practices are as dead as a dodo in the computer age.
The dodo was a large bird that could not fly. It is now extinct (= it no longer exists).
See also: dead, dodo
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • dead as a dodo
  • dodo
  • (as) dead as a dodo
  • be as dead as a dodo
  • quick and the dead
  • quick and the dead, the
  • the quick and the dead
  • play possum
  • play possum, to
  • possum