brick (redirected from bricks)

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, hit, 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 someone 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.

See also: come, down, 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 also: against, come, wall

drop someone/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, potato

have someone down on you like a ton of bricks (informal)

be/come down on someone like a ton of bricks - to punish someone very quickly and severely. If she starts drinking again she'll have the family down on her like a ton of bricks.

See also: down, like, ton

hit a/the (brick) wall (informal)

if you hit the wall when you are trying to achieve something, you reach a situation where you cannot make any more progress. We've just about hit the wall in terms of what we can do to balance the budget. The enquiry hit a brick wall of banking security.

See also: hit, wall

hit someone 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: can't, 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