Building Site: brick, concrete, truck

Brick Idioms

Idiom Explanation Example
a brick short of a load a stupid or slightly crazy person Don’t listen to Molly she’s a brick short of a load.
bricks and mortar buildings, usually houses or a traditional shop or business (compared with an online shop or business) Since Lina left for college the fields surrounding her house had all been covered by bricks and mortar.
hit a brick wall a problem or obstacle that cannot be overcome I’m so tired, I’ve hit a brick wall. I can’t do anything more until I’ve slept.
like a ton of bricks crushing weight, force or authority If we’re not home by dinner time my mum will come down on us like a ton of bricks.

Other Idioms

Idiom Explanation Example
be set in concrete/ stone fixed, unchangeable Simon’s ideas were set in concrete. He was going to become a vegan and nobody could change his mind.
concrete jungle a city with lots of big, ugly, modern buildings He knew it was crazy, but after three months of hiking in the wilderness Eric missed his concrete jungle of a city.
keep on trucking persist with something boring or ordinary I don’t like this book at all but I’ll have to keep on trucking and read it all because we’re studying it in English this year.

Exercises C1

Complete the sentences with the words below.

brick – concrete – trucking

  1. Elliot was tired and really wanted to go home and sleep. Unfortunately, he was at work and since it was still only 2 o’clock he needed to keep on   until 5 o’clock.
  2. Some people like the quietness of the countryside, but I prefer the noise and chaos of a   jungle.
  3. That lady must be one   short of a load to be wearing sandals in the snow!

Choose the correct idiom.

  1. The group of scientists experimented for months trying to prove their theory. But in the end they were forced to quit. They simply couldn’t solve the problem.
  2. Martine opened an online cupcake shop last year but business hasn’t been going so well. It seems that people prefer to buy the cakes in a real shop.
  3. We are going on a class trip to Bristol next week. The teachers have given us an itinerary but we can pick and choose what we want to do.
  4. Mr Harper hadn’t paid his taxes for 10 years. When the tax office found out, Mr Harper was given the harshest penalty.

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