A "Brody" is a miraculous maneuver or
stunt.
This comes from "Steve Brody", the first
man to survive the 135 foot
jump from the Brooklyn Bridge. In 1885, right after the Brooklyn Bridge was built, Brody bragged he could survive the fall, and did. His
amazing survival caused a media sensation, and the phrase "pull a Brody" has been used since then. (Only four people have *ever* survived the 135 foot
drop, which is equivalent to jumping from the top of a fourteen story building.)
In 1885, Steve Brody owned a saloon. Parts of Brody's saloon still survive today in New York's Empire Room, which is fitted with mahogany panels and gold
leaf plaster impressions recovered from Steve Brody's Saloon.
The miraculous 1885 survival of Brody made him very
famous. From that time to this, New Yorkers have talked about "pulling a Brody" or "taking a Brody", referring to Brody's miracle
jump and survival.
In 120 years, obviously, some people have forgotten where "pull a brody" came from. Do some research on Steve Brody and you will see this is the actual origin of the phrase.
I
dropped into first
gear and pulled a brody.
Yesterday, I pulled a brody on the high
dive.
He escaped out onto the roof, pulled a brody, and was gone.