newyork.localmean.com/brick
Brick
BRIK
Local meaning
Extremely cold, especially when describing the weather outside.
In the common New York weather use, brick describes cold that feels severe, sharp, or unpleasant. Speakers often say it is brick outside rather than calling an object brick.
Example in context
- “Bring the heavy coat—it’s brick outside.”
How it is used
Closely associated with New York and the Northeast; understood more broadly through media.
matter-of-fact, emphatic
weather talk, commuting, street conversation
Closely associated with New York and the Northeast; understood more broadly through media.
Context matters because brick has many ordinary and slang meanings outside weather talk.
Spelling and scope
Closely associated with New York and the Northeast; understood more broadly through media.
- Search forms
brick outsidebrick weather
LocalMean keeps common search spellings discoverable without claiming that every borough, community, or generation uses one written form.
Frequently asked questions
What does brick mean in New York?
When talking about weather, brick means extremely cold.
Can you say a person is brick?
That is not the core NYC weather pattern. Other communities may use brick differently, so check the full sentence.
Read next
All words →Evidence and further reading
These sources support the regional association, dictionary sense, or broader spread. The entry remains open to correction from New York speakers and qualified reviewers.
- brickMerriam-Webster Slang
Slang sense of brick for severely cold weather and its New York associations.
- Common New York Slang: BrickUSC Digital Folklore Archives
A community-recorded explanation of brick in New York weather talk.