flying brick

8.6

A badly thrown or hit object that flies fast and misses the target

noun

Informal

: ladrillo volador

His attempt at the goal turned into a flying brick that soared over the crossbar.

Examples

The quarterback's pass was a flying brick and landed nowhere near his teammate.
After losing his grip, the frisbee became a flying brick, crashing into the bleachers.
That shot was a complete flying brick!
He threw a flying brick during the game.
After losing his grip, the frisbee became a flying brick, crashing into the bleachers.
His attempt at the goal turned into a flying brick that soared over the crossbar.
The quarterback's pass was a flying brick and landed nowhere near his teammate.

Synonyms

airball

vsflying brick

Jargon

1 6.7

A basketball shot that misses both the hoop and the backboard

is a general term for a forceful miss in sports or casual talk

brickbat

vsflying brick

9.9

A piece of brick thrown at someone as a weapon

is a figurative or sporting term for a bad or off-target throw

Antonyms

to hit the bullseye

1 5.1

Do exactly what you intend

Surface Forms

flying brick singular

flying bricks plural

Morphology

fly + brick

The phrase literally combines the idea of something 'flying' with a 'brick' (a heavy, clumsy object), so a learner who knows both words will likely infer a heavy or awkward projectile. However, the evaluative sense 'a poorly executed shot' and its colloquial use in sports is a metaphorical extension that may not be fully predictable without exposure, so the expression is only partly compositional.

Etymology

Flying brick paints a clear image of a heavy brick flying awkwardly through the air. So, it refers to a 'poor shot' or a thrown object that goes off course and misses the target.