: A poorly received play or movie might be greeted with "brickbats" from critics.
One of the most famous literal uses of the term appears in 17th-century English legal history. In a reported case from 1631, a condemned prisoner "threw a brickbat at the said Judge, which narrowly missed". The marginal note for this case became legendary in the legal world for its "Law French" description of the event: "le prisoner ject un brickbat a le dit Justice que narrowly mist" . Transition to Metaphor brickbat
: Many publications have historically used "Brickbats and Bouquets" sections to categorize reader feedback as either critical or complimentary. Examples of Usage : A poorly received play or movie might
: Candidates often "hurl brickbats" at one another during heated debates. brickbat