| 释义 |
make bricks without straw make bricks without strawTo do or attempt to do something without the basic necessary tools or materials one needs. They don't give us nearly enough time or support to get these projects to the standards they should be, so we end up making bricks without straw. You're never going to have a championship team unless they start recruiting players who are actually any good. You can't make bricks without straw.See also: brick, make, straw, withoutmake bricks without strawPerform a task without essential materials or means, as in Writing a report without the current data is making bricks without straw. This expression alludes to straw as a material necessary in early brick manufacturing. [Early 1600s] See also: brick, make, straw, withoutmake bricks without straw If you make bricks without straw, you try to achieve something without the resources that are needed for it. Teachers have become experts at making bricks without straw. Note: This expression is from the Bible and refers to Pharaoh's order that the captive Israelites should not be given any straw to make bricks. (Exodus 5:7) See also: brick, make, straw, withoutmake bricks without straw try to accomplish something without proper or adequate material, equipment, or information. The allusion here is to Exodus 5:6–19 where ‘without straw’ meant ‘without having straw provided’, as the Israelites were required to gather straw for themselves in order to make the bricks required by their Egyptian taskmasters. A misinterpretation has led to the current sense.See also: brick, make, straw, withoutmake ˌbricks without ˈstraw (British English) try to do a piece of work without the necessary materials, equipment or information: 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.This is based on a story in the Bible. At that time, straw was an essential material for making bricks.See also: brick, make, straw, without |