The origins of the phrase 'dead in the water' is nautical.  Whilst it is used in modern parlance in a negative sense. Much as has been already mentioned and quoted.  But let's retain its origins and the sailor would use it to describe it as the point when there's no wind to power the sails and no means of turning the ship as there's no flow of water over the rudder.  On a modern yacht this would bethe point when the skipper reaches for the start button to fire up the iron sail, the engine. In days of old old it was either reach for some creative hobby or start a mutiny.

We seem to be getting to that not infrequent occurrence when the board turns on each other, a quite common pack related phenomena when boredom sets in. Amoungst blokes this, and thanks Shash, is the point when the dominant female looses it and storms off bemoaning the limitations of the males of the species, causing a momentary pang of guilt rapidly followed by either let's go down the pub or a tough game of British Bulldog.

I'd better say something Poetical before I get banned.  I predict this is Poet's calm before the storm.

Sulasailor.