Brick walls and glass ceilings

build something/someone up

n to praise someone or something in a way that will increase expectations of them:

cement

fix bricks firmly in place and to make relationships more solid

To come up against a brick wall

, meaning to meet a barrier:

Ceiling

o suggest a limit to something

the roof fell in on my world

My world collapsed

floor can give way

faint

go through the roof

s used about prices, meaning to increase in a rapid, uncontrolled fashion.

Hit the roof

get very angry

Window

opening

window of opportunity

a chance to do something special:

goes out (of) the window

disappeared, been forgotten, or is no longer important or used, especially in a sudden or surprising way.

convey

to express a thought, feeling, or idea so that it is understood by other people:

ivory tower

, he/she does not know about the unpleasant and ordinary things that happen in life: Academics are often criticised for living in their

to be a tower of strength

they are extremely strong (in an emotional rather than a physical sense

to tower above something or someone

they are either outstandingly tall or outstanding in some other positive way

be a gateway to

meaning give an opportunity to get somewhere

closed/shut a lot of doors

stop

through/by the back door

unofficially

. Doing something behind closed doors

secrecy

provide/hold the key to

to suggest the importance of something: