Confused Canadian
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 7:15 pm Post subject: "breathing bricks" from Kiterunner - What does it |
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An adult student in one of my conversation classes is reading "The Kite Runner" and came across the line:
I was breathing bricks.
She asked me what it meant, and I was stumped. I've never heard the expression before, and haven't had any luck finding out what it means through Internet searches.
I'm guessing it means one of the following:
a) It was difficult to breath.
b) My breathing was labored.
c) I was really nervous.
Can anyone help me out?
Here's some more of the context:
| Quote: |
Baba nodded and gave a thin smile that conveyed little more than feigned interest. "Well, that's very good, isn't it??he said. Then nothing more. He just looked at me through the cloud of smoke.
I probably stood there for under a minute, but, to this day, it was one of the longest minutes of my life. Seconds plodded by, each separated from the next by an eternity. Air grew heavy damp, almost solid. I was breathing bricks. Baba went on staring me down, and didn't offer to read.
As always, it was Rahim Khan who rescued me. He held out his hand and favored me with a smile that had nothing feigned about it. "May I have it, Amir jan? I would very much like to read it.?Baba hardly ever used the term of endearment _jan_ when he addressed me. |
Thanks in advance! |
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