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Welcome to the English we speak with.
Me Phil and me Feyfei, 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 brothers job has nothing to do with building, has it?
No, hes an accountant.
Its his company that he built.
He grew it carefully and gradually and now its really successful.
Your brother built his success brick by brick.
You also said that it can be used for taking things apart.
Yes, thats right.
If you take a house apart brick by brick, youre doing it carefully enough that it could be rebuilt somewhere else.
Again, its not just literal.
If youre trying to disprove someone, you can take their argument apart brick by brick.
That would be when you carefully argue against each of the points someone has made.