"dead as a wedge" solved?

The meaning of wedge in the expression "dead as a wedge" has a very plausible, for me, solution. A fascinating explanation in strong dialect found at | http://books.google.com/books?id=qSmhbNuXMnAC&pg=PA255&dq=%22dead+as+a+wedge%22&ei=pQlWSZ-7CJbyMtix2asP | floats my boat. Thank you Genevieve W. Chandler for Coming Through: Voices of a South Carolina Gullah Community from WPA Oral Histories, ISBN 978-1-57003-721-4, (2008). -jcw- scripsit

"dead as a wedge"

Try as I might I've been unable to determine what a "wedge" is in the term "dead as a wedge." I've exhausted, to the best of my knowledge and ability, the etymology of wedge and find no references that make sense in this particular term. Viz. http://www.literaturepage.com/search.php?textsearch=dead+as+a+wedge&titleid=tomsawyer&startsearch=Search for probably the most well known citation of the term. Google "dead as a wedge" for a myriad of citations, both contemporary and from the 19th Century to date. Citations I have, an answer I have not. I welcome comments and suggestions. -jcw- scripsit

small change to header

Small change to header made 02Dec2008. -jcw- scripsit