Idiom
make bricks without straw
Meaning
To accomplish a task without the proper materials or under unreasonable conditions; to do the impossible.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I cannot finish this project because I am making bricks without straw.”
“The manager expects us to launch the new website by tomorrow, but we are making bricks without straw since we lack the necessary software.”
“Tasked with revitalizing the failing department without any additional funding or staff, the new director found herself making bricks without straw.”
Examples
simple
“I cannot finish this project because I am making bricks without straw.”
contextual
“The manager expects us to launch the new website by tomorrow, but we are making bricks without straw since we lack the necessary software.”
complex
“Tasked with revitalizing the failing department without any additional funding or staff, the new director found herself making bricks without straw.”
Origin
From Exodus 5:18: "Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks." (NIV).
Key words
Related idioms
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