bricks /brɪks/► SEE ALLbricks and mortara few, two, etc. bricks short of a loadmake bricks without strawlike a cat on hot bricksbe/come down on sb like a ton of bricks ●bricks and ˈmortara building, especially when you are thinking of it in connection with how much it cost to build or how much it is worth房产◆A home isn’t just bricks and mortar. 家不仅仅是房子。◆We now need funding to turn the plans into bricks and mortar. 我们现在需要资金将这些计划变为实实在在的房屋。NOTE The modern way of doing business through the Internet as well as from buildings and shops can be referred to as clicks and mortar, where ‘clicks’ refers to the use of the mouse and the Internet.通过因特网及在大楼和商店里进行的现代化的交易方式可以用 clicks and mortar 来表达。clicks （点击）指使用鼠标和因特网。●a few, two, etc. ˌbricks short of a ˈload ( a few, two, etc. ˌsandwiches short of a ˈpicnic) (informal) (of a person人) not very intelligent; slightly crazy愚蠢；不很聪明◆If you ask me, I think he must be one or two sandwiches short of a picnic! 要我说，我觉得他脑子肯定缺根弦！OPPall thereNOTE The structure a few, two, etc.…short of a(n)… is often used to make new idioms, for example a few cards short of a deck, a few letters short of an alphabet. * a few, two, etc....short of a(n)... 这个结构常可用于构成新的习语，如 a few cards short of a deck 和 a few letters short of an alphabet。●make ˌbricks without ˈstraw (BrE) try to do a piece of work without the necessary materials, equipment or information做无米之炊；在缺少必要的材料（或设备、信息）的条件下做某事◆I don’t know how you expect me to cook dinner when there’s hardly any food in the house. You can’t make bricks without straw, you know. 家里几乎什么吃的都没有，你让我怎么做饭呀。要知道，巧妇难为无米之炊。ORIGINThis is based on a story in the Bible. At that time, straw was an essential material for making bricks.这个习语源于《圣经》中的一个故事。那时，草是制作砖块的主要材料。●like a ˌcat on hot ˈbricks (BrE) (NAmE, less frequentlike a ˌcat on a hot tin ˈroof) (informal) very nervous局促不安；如坐针毡；像热锅上的蚂蚁◆He’ll be like a cat on hot bricks till he gets his exam results.他在知道考试结果前会一直局促不安。●be/come down on sb like a ton of ˈbricks (informal) criticize sb angrily because they have done sth wrong严厉地指责某人；怒斥某人◆The first time I made a mistake, he came down on me like a ton of bricks.我第一次出错，他就对我大发雷霆。◆If I find anyone drunk in this factory I’ll be down on them like a ton of bricks.要是我发现任何人在厂里喝醉酒，我就对他不客气。