brodie: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal
Quick answer
What does “brodie” mean?
A spectacular failure or a headlong plunge.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A spectacular failure or a headlong plunge.
Used to describe a reckless or disastrous venture, especially in sports or business, often ending in a crash or a complete failure. Can also refer to the act of committing suicide by jumping.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is of American origin and remains predominantly American. It is very rarely used in British English.
Connotations
In American English, it carries a slightly theatrical or old-fashioned slang connotation, often used with a sense of dramatic failure.
Frequency
Very low frequency in British English; low to moderate in historical or journalistic American English, but now somewhat dated.
Grammar
How to Use “brodie” in a Sentence
to do a brodieto pull a brodie on [something]Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used formally; may appear in informal commentary on a failed product launch or investment.
Academic
Almost never used; relevant only in historical or linguistic studies of slang.
Everyday
Used in informal speech, primarily in the US, to describe a personal or minor failure.
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “brodie”
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'He brodied' is incorrect). It is a noun in fixed phrases like 'do a brodie'.
- Assuming it is current, common slang.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered dated slang. It is primarily encountered in historical contexts, older literature, or journalism.
No, it is not standard. The correct usage is as a noun in fixed phrases like 'do a brodie' or 'pull a brodie'.
It comes from the name of Steve Brodie, who in 1886 claimed to have jumped from the Brooklyn Bridge and survived, making the name synonymous with a daring or disastrous leap.
No, they are synonymous informal phrases meaning to fail in a dramatic or disastrous way.
A spectacular failure or a headlong plunge.
Brodie is usually informal in register.
Brodie: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbrəʊdi/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbroʊdi/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “do a brodie”
- “pull a brodie”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of BROdie BROke his neck after a BROke (failed) attempt.
Conceptual Metaphor
FAILURE IS A DANGEROUS FALL/DIVE.
Practice
Quiz
What does the phrase 'to do a brodie' mean?