brick

*like a ton of bricks

Inf. like a great weight or burden. (*Typically: fall ~; hit ~; hit someone ~.) Suddenly, the truth hit me like a ton of bricks. The sudden tax increase hit like a ton of bricks. Everyone became angry.

See also: like, ton

beat one's head against the wall and bang one's head against a brick wall

Fig. to waste one's time trying hard to accomplish something that is completely hopeless. You're wasting your time trying to figure this puzzle out. You're just beating your head against the wall. You're banging your head against a brick wall trying to get that dog to behave properly.

See also: against, beat, head, wall

brick something up

to fill up an opening with bricks. He bricked the doorway up. Why did he brick up the opening?

See also: up

brick(s)-and-mortar

[of commercial establishements] based in buildings rather than relying on online sales over the Internet. Many of the dot-com business owners have never been involved in a brick-and-mortar business.

bricks and mortar

buildings; the expenditure of money on buildings rather than something else. (The buildings referred to can be constructed out of anything.) The new president of the college preferred to invest in new faculty members rather than bricks and mortar. Sometimes people are happy to donate millions of dollars for bricks and mortar, but they never think of the additional cost of annual maintenance.

See also: and, mortar

built like a brick outhouse and built like a brick shithouse

Fig. well-built-either strong or full-sized. (Built more strongly than is typical. The second form is potentially offensive. Use only with discretion.) Look at that guy's muscles—he's built like a brick shithouse. This garage is built like a brick outhouse. It'll last for years.

See also: built, like

drop a bomb(shell) and explode a bombshell; drop a brick

Fig. to announce shocking or startling news. They really dropped a bombshell when they announced that the mayor would resign. Friday is a good day to drop a bomb like that. It gives the business world the weekend to recover. They must choose their words very carefully when they explode a bombshell like that. They really dropped a brick when they told her the cause of her illness.

See also: bomb, drop

few bricks short of a load and few cards shy of a full deck; few cards short of a deck; not playing with a full deck; two bricks shy of a load

Fig. lacking in intellectual ability. (Many other variants.) Tom: Joe thinks he can build a car out of old milk jugs. Mary: I think Joe's a few bricks short of a load. Ever since she fell and hit her head, Jane's been a few bricks short of a load, if you know what I'm saying. Bob's nice, but he's not playing with a full deck. You twit! You're two bricks shy of a load.

See also: few, load, short

hit the bricks and hit the pavement 

1. Fig. Inf. to start walking; to go into the streets. I have a long way to go. I'd better hit the bricks. Go on! Hit the pavement! Get going!

2. Inf. Fig. to go out on strike. The workers hit the pavement on Friday and haven't been back on the job since. Agree to our demands, or we hit the bricks.

See also: hit

knock one's head (up) against a brick wall

Fig. to be totally frustrated. Trying to get a raise around here is like knocking your head up against a brick wall. No need to knock your head against a brick wall over this problem.

See also: against, head, knock, wall

one brick shy of a load

Inf. stupid; dense. Joyce has done some stupid things. Sometimes I think she is one brick shy of a load. Ted is one brick shy of a load. He can't seem to do what he is told without messing up.

See also: load, one, shy

run one's head against a brick wall

Fig. to be frustrated by coming up against an insurmountable obstacle. There is no point in running your head against a brick wall. If you can't succeed in this case, don't even try. I have been running my head against a brick wall about this problem long enough.

See also: against, head, run, wall

three bricks shy of a load

stupid; dense; shortchanged on intelligence. I would never say she was dense. Just three bricks shy of a load. Why do you act like you're three bricks shy of a load?

See also: load, shy, three

You cannot make bricks without straw.

Prov. You have to have all the necessary materials in order to make something. Ellen: I really wanted to give Fred a birthday party, but none of the people I invited were able to come. Jane: Don't blame yourself. You can't make bricks without straw.

See also: cannot, make, straw, without

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be banging/hitting your head against a brick wall

to keep asking someone to do something which they never do I've been trying to get the rules changed for years now but I'm hitting my head against a brick wall. He never listens to me - sometimes I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall.

See also: against, bang, head, wall

be built like a brick shithouse  (British & Australian very informal!)

if someone is built like a brick shithouse, they are very strong and very big I wasn't going to argue with him - he was built like a brick shithouse.

See also: built, like

be like talking to a brick wall

if talking to someone is like talking to a brick wall, the person you are speaking to does not listen I've tried to discuss my feelings with her, but it's like talking to a brick wall.

See also: like, talk, wall

be shitting bricks  (taboo)

to be very frightened or worried The bull was following us across the field. Tony was shitting bricks.

See also: shit

be/come down on somebody like a ton of bricks  (informal)

to punish someone very quickly and severely If you miss any more classes, your teachers will be down on you like a ton of bricks. When he failed to supply his accounts, tax inspectors came down on him like a ton of bricks. (informal)

See hit like a ton of bricks, weigh a ton

See also: like, ton

be/come up against a brick wall

to not be able to continue an activity or do something you want to do I've tried everywhere I can think of for funding but I've come up against a brick wall. My brother wants to leave home but he can't find a job. He's up against a brick wall.

See shit a brick, be built like a brick shithouse, be like talking to a brick wall, hit a wall

See also: against, up, wall

drop somebody/something like a hot brick/potato  (informal)

to suddenly get rid of someone or something that you have been involved with because you do not want them any more or you are worried they may cause problems The government dropped the plan like a hot brick when they realized the bad feeling it was causing.

See also: drop, hot, like

hit somebody like a ton of bricks  (American informal)

to surprise or shock someone very much The truth hit him like a ton of bricks. The woman in the video was his own sister.

See also: hit, like, ton

shit a brick  (taboo!)

to be very frightened or worried My niece took me on the rollercoaster and I nearly shit a brick.

See also: shit

You can't make bricks without straw.

something that you say which means you cannot do something correctly without the necessary materials I need an electric drill to put these shelves up. You can't make bricks without straw.

See also: make, straw, without

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(hit you) like a ton of bricks

to shock you so much that you do not know how to react The death of her father hit her like a ton of bricks.

See also: like, ton