hit the bricks

present singular third person hits the bricks · participle present hitting the bricks

1. idiomaticTo travel about, especially on foot.

   [H]undreds of joggers and walkers from the condos hit the bricks of the Coal Harbor Seawalk starting at 6 a.m. for their morning constitution around Stanley Park.

   2002 October 17, Jeff Larsen, “Short Trips: Shoreside walks in green and glittering Vancouver”, in Seattle Post-Intelligencer, retrieved 24 Jun 2009

   1 more example

   [T]housands of brewers, waiters and waitresses, bartenders, cooks, checkers, cashiers, dishwashers, hotel maids and bellmen, too, would be forced to hit the bricks in search of other work.

   1949 June 18, Victor Riesel, “Inside Labor”, in St. Petersburg Times, retrieved 24 Jun 2009, page 30

   Synonyms: perambulate, pound the pavement, ramble

2. idiomaticTo leave or depart; to get out.

   Alas, Hancock did not have his receipt, so the shop owner told him to hit the bricks.

   2004 September 20, “No NHL? No NHL!!!”, in Washington Post, retrieved 24 Jun 2009, page D02

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   On Friday and Saturday nights, the old-timers who usually populate the enormous room hit the bricks as an army of young people storm the hall to play "Cosmic Bingo."

   2009 April 3, Tom Horgen, “Nightlife: Bingo is the game-o”, in Minneapolis Star-Tribune, retrieved 24 Jun 2009

   Synonyms: hit the road, hit the trail

3. idiomaticTo participate in a workplace strike or other job action; to participate in a public protest, especially one involving picketing.

   Queens bus driver Mousie Garcia, 30, said she doesn't want a strike but will hit the bricks if the MTA doesn't come through with no-strings-attached raises.

   2002 December 16, Pete Donohue et al., “MTA and union push against strike deadline”, in New York Daily News, retrieved 24 Jun 2009

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   When Harry Bridges told his boys to hit the bricks, Charley was always up front in the longshoremen's wall of flesh. His picketing record in the bloody dockside strife of 1934 and in the all-out strike of 1937 was perfect.

   1947 March 31, “National Affairs: Waterfront Conchie”, in Time

   Synonyms: take to the bricks, picket, protest, strike, walk out