The Beeb this morning had an item about a new project that seeks to create a "living museum" of English. A summary of the feature is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/misc/lingo_20080606.shtml

According to the Beeb, the aim of the project's founders is eventually to have a "bricks and mortar" language museum in Winchester (one of the places where the language was first called into some kind of order).

You can find out about the project here http://www.englishproject.org/

If they're "...compiling private vocabulary into a public database," they're defeating the purpose of its being private, aren't they?

I'm interested by the use of "Bricks and Mortar". I typically hear "Brick and Mortar", although B&M is pretty common as well.

quote:

I typically hear "Brick and Mortar"

If there were only the one brick, then there would be no need for mortar. Mortar is only needed when two or more bricks are set on top of one another, when it eliminates the high point loadings that would otherwise occur and also ensures that the construction is more water and wind-proof than would otherwise be the case.

Brick and mortar is a variant of brick and mortar. A Google search yields:

brick and mortar 3.2M ghits
bricks and mortar 1.32M ghits

I assumed it was a regional variation or a count vs uncountable noun situation, but more study would be need to come to a proper conclusion.

In my work, we often discuss distance learning nursing programs on conference calls with most states participating. During those calls we compare online programs to "brick and mortar" programs. I've never heard anyone, no matter where they're from, say "bricks and mortar."

I suspect it's another transatlantic difference. I'd say "bricks and mortar".

I think it could be correct to talk about a "brick and mortar construction" since brick and mortar would be adjectives describing the type of construction.

But when we speak of "bricks and mortar" we use the term colloquially to mean any kind of construction that has a physical existence - as opposed to simply having a virtual existence (as does this discussion board).