built like a brick shithouse
- idiom
- Offensive
:
construido como un tanque
- The vintage Land Rover is built like a brick shithouse and survived decades of rough service.
Examples
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For the expedition, they chose a tent that was built like a brick shithouse against fierce winds.
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Mechanics praised the bridge because it was built like a brick shithouse and rarely needed repairs.
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This new bridge is built like a brick shithouse.
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That car is built like a brick shithouse and can withstand any crash.
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The vintage Land Rover is built like a brick shithouse and survived decades of rough service.
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That car is built like a brick shithouse and can withstand any crash.
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Mechanics praised the bridge because it was built like a brick shithouse and rarely needed repairs.
Synonyms
Very strong and solid, like a person with big muscles or a very hard box
Antonyms
How Sturdy
Surface Forms
Morphology
built + like + a + brick + shithouse
The simile is compositionally transparent: a B1 learner who knows 'built', 'like', 'brick' and 'shithouse' can infer that something is constructed as solidly as a brick outhouse, so the intended meaning 'very strongly/solidly built' follows directly from the parts. Although the expression is informal and vulgar, its meaning is derived from a literal comparison to a sturdy brick structure rather than an arbitrary idiom.
Etymology
The idiom built like a brick shithouse also uses the same picture of a heavy brick outside toilet, suggesting something made to last and take rough use. That's why calling a car or tent built like a brick shithouse means it is very sturdy - 'very sturdy'.