Brick by brick

Hello and welcome to this podcast from the BBC World Service. Please let us know what you think

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are supported by advertising. Welcome to The English We Speak with me, Phil.

And me, Feifei.

We have a phrase which is about building something up or taking it apart carefully. It's brick by

brick. Brick by brick. This sounds like something related to construction.

It can be, but actually we often use it more metaphorically,

especially when we can use the verb build in that way. So, for example, my brother is really

proud of his business. He built it brick by brick.

So your brother's job has nothing to do with building, has it?

No, he's an accountant. It's his company that he built.

He grew it carefully and gradually and now it's really successful.

Your brother built his success brick by brick.

You also said that it can be used for taking things apart.

Yes, that's right. If you take a house apart brick by brick,

you're doing it carefully enough that it could be rebuilt somewhere else.

Again, it's not just literal. If you're trying to disprove someone,

you can take their argument apart brick by brick.

That would be when…

When you carefully argue against each of the points someone has made.

Yes, that's right. Listen to these examples.

It's nice to be recognised with this award. I've spent years building up my career brick by brick.

The historic building was moved brick by brick to the museum.

I thought I was well prepared, but the professor pulled my argument apart brick by brick.

I thought I was well prepared, but the professor pulled my argument apart brick by brick.

I thought I was well prepared, but the professor pulled my argument apart brick by brick.

You're listening to The English We Speak from BBC Learning English

and we're learning the phrase brick by brick,

which is a way to refer to something done carefully and gradually.

As well as the idea of something done carefully and gradually,

it often suggests that something is the result of hard work.

If someone says that they have built their success brick by brick,

they're likely to be proud of themselves.

They're likely to be proud of themselves.

They're likely to be proud of the effort that they've made.

We've come to the end of this episode, but we'll be back soon to help you

build your knowledge of English brick by brick.

See you next time.

Bye.

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