Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to take a chance.

1926		Wood & Goddard Dict. Amer. Sl.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks 14/1: Brody, to take a chance and lose; stupid.

2. (US, also broadie) to blunder, to fail.

1934		Weseen Dict. Amer. Sl.
1936		Esquire Sept. 162: An act brodied [W&F].
1951		Green & Laurie Show Biz from Vaude to Video 567: Broadied – flopped.

3. (US) of a vehicle, to spin, to skid.

1990		J. Ellroy ‘Gravy Train’ in Pronzini & Adrian Hard-Boiled (1995) 496: I [...] down-shifted, brodied, fishtailed and hit the freeway doing eighty.
2001		(con. 1964–8) J. Ellroy Cold Six Thousand 116: Chuck cut the flaps and braked. They spun. They brodied on ice. They did figure eights and stalled in tall grass.
2023		(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 41: She fishtailed and brodied south.

4. (US) to jump, usu. from a building or bridge, often with the intention of suicide.

1995

S. Moore In The Cut 98: I have new words for the dictionary. [...] to Brodie, to jump, usually from a building or a bridge.