The phrase "do a Brodie" (or "
pull a Brodie") gained
colloquial signifigance thanks to the
recklessness of a New York
saloonkeeper named Steve Brodie who, on July 23rd, 1886, jumped from the three-year-old
Brooklyn Bridge to win a $200 bet. Some claim that he
faked the
stunt, but his story was supported by
The New York Times, and the
police arrested him for his seemingly-suicidal 135-foot
dive. While any
dangerous,
pointless stunt may be referred to as "doing a Brodie", the term is particularly applied to spinning
maneuvers in
surfing,
skateboarding, and
amateur automobile racing.
Reference: The People's Almanac;David Wallechinsky and Irving Wallace; Doubleday; 1975