Today I've found an English slang expression that I didn't know. "Drop a brick", in italian "far cadere un mattone", and I realized it means to make a gaffe.
I made a huge number of gaffes in my life! For example I made mistakes sending sms to the wrong person, sometimes the same person mentioned in the text... Or, I remember, I have also expressed a negative opinion about something (clothes, job, music) to a person who likes or is used to it.
What is the worst bad blooper you've made?
I used to work as Air Cabin Crew for British Airways, I was at the aircraft door one evening waiting to greet the passengers. A passengers asked me if I knew the score of the England football score as he had a meeting all day and had not been able to watch it. I replied "I don't actually know who won, the score was 2 - 0, but I do know that Gazza (Paul Gascoigne famous for crying after being sent off at the World Cup many years ago) scored both goals. I did not realise until I saw the passengers face how stupid I sounded. He said " If Gazza scored 2 goals and Gazza plays for England, then England won right?" I said "oh yes, and put it down to jet lag".
Everytime I went back to serve him, we laughed. At least I cheered him up.
My first wife.
But, thanks to your help, I've realized that it is incorrect. So I can say you've saved me from dropping a clanger when I would have spoken (or 'when I spoke') to native people...
In BE I don't think I've heard 'heavy' conversation referred to as dropping a brick - that must be an AE expression. In BE, if someone got over-serious and killed a lighthearted mood or conversation, we'd probably say something like "he was a real downer/ a real killjoy / a real partypooper..."
The further point to remember is that to make a mistake sending a message to the wrong person, is a Social "gaffe"; but it is not a BRICK.
If a person wrote to you and said; "Hi Francesca. Can we talk?"; and you answered back with;
"Don't ever talk to me again. I hate you!" That would be dropping a BRICK.
If I send a wrong message to someone, it is merely a "mistake" or an "error". I've done it a lot on Skype, when 2 or 3 people are all sending me messages at once, and I have the text box open for the wrong person.
The original meaning is correct - to drop a brick is to make a gaffe. It also has another meaning as Neil points out - relating to the toilet and this is becoming more common. Perhaps that is why you have not heard the expression before as it could be misunderstood.
