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built like brick chicken houses

English translation: solidly built (from a more commonly vulgar expression)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:built like brick chicken houses
Selected answer:solidly built (from a more commonly vulgar expression)
Entered by: NancyLynn

13:10 Sep 24, 2004
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
English term or phrase: built like brick chicken houses
They are both over seven feet tall and built like brick chicken houses.

Is this a fixed expression in English or is he just saying they are extremely tall and muscle-bound?
lim0nka
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:35
solidly built
Explanation:
but the more common (and of course vulgar) expression is "built like a brick shit-house'.

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Note added at 3 mins (2004-09-24 13:13:46 GMT)
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I remember reading a biography of Lucille Ball & Desi Arnez, where Desi refers to Lucille as being built like a brick shit-house. Somehow, the image didn\'t register as very flattering at the time (I was 12 when I read it).
Selected response from:

NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 07:35
Grading comment
Thank you. That's what I needed.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +16solidly built
NancyLynn
4 +1not a saying
Michael Powers (PhD)


  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +16
solidly built


Explanation:
but the more common (and of course vulgar) expression is "built like a brick shit-house'.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 mins (2004-09-24 13:13:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I remember reading a biography of Lucille Ball & Desi Arnez, where Desi refers to Lucille as being built like a brick shit-house. Somehow, the image didn\'t register as very flattering at the time (I was 12 when I read it).

NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 07:35
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Thank you. That's what I needed.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  cjperera
3 mins
  -> thanks Cillin
agree  Richard Benham: Yes. I think the chicken-house expression is a conscious allusion and possibly a euphemism--maybe to keep within a low censorship category?
4 mins
  -> probably - thanks Richard
agree  ohemulen
5 mins
  -> thanks!
agree  Attila Piróth
15 mins
agree  NGK
30 mins
agree  Rajan Chopra
50 mins
agree  RHELLER: you are educating me, darling :-)
1 hr
  -> l'enseignante renseigne - that's my job! ;-) thanks Rita
agree  humbird: Yah, it's an allusion.
1 hr
  -> thanks Susan
agree  eldira: i recall it was "out-house"
1 hr
agree  Kevin Kelly: The more common version is "s***house," but is indeed more vulgar.
1 hr
agree  Tehani
2 hrs
agree  Ingrid Petit
5 hrs
agree  senin
5 hrs
agree  J. Leo (X)
9 hrs
agree  Sarah Downing
9 hrs
agree  sonja29 (X)
14 hrs
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2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
not a saying


Explanation:
To be interpreted through analogy and context.

Mike :)

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Note added at 4 mins (2004-09-24 13:14:20 GMT)
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Only five hits on Google of \"brick chicken houses\"

Michael Powers (PhD)
United States
Local time: 07:35
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  cjperera: but 37 for "brick chicken house"!
6 mins
  -> Thank you, Cillín - you're right, I should have looked for it in singular. - Mike :)
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