make bricks without straw

Etymology
From Exodus 5:18: "Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks." (NIV)

Verb

 * 1)  To accomplish a task without the proper materials or under unreasonable conditions; to do the impossible.

Usage notes

 * Often expressed in the proverbial form: you can't make bricks without straw.

Alternative forms

 * make bricks without straws