: Candidates often "hurl brickbats" at one another during heated debates.
Historically, these fragments were used as handy, rock-like missiles. Because they were heavy and easy to throw, they became common projectiles during riots or street brawls when stones were scarce. The Infamous Legal "Brickbat" brickbat
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 : Candidates often "hurl brickbats" at one another
"For all the the new urban plan has received, it remains a solid foundation for growth". The Infamous Legal "Brickbat" One of the most
"Despite the movie’s financial success, it received several from critics for its thin plot".
Over time, the physical act of "hurling brickbats" transitioned into the realm of rhetoric. Just as a physical brickbat was intended to strike an opponent, a verbal brickbat is intended to wound a person's reputation or ego. Common contemporary uses include: