"broderick a confession"

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 1:54 PM, Towse <my.cache at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I was reading a mystery short story last night and came across the
> phrase "brodericked a confession" but can't find hide nor hair of
> anything on the Web that explains the origin of "to broderick."
>
> I'm assuming Broderick was expert at forcing confessions from suspects, but ...

Johnny Broderick, NYC police detective.

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1999/03/12/1999-03-12_johnny_broderick_true_detect.html
"He was famous from the beginning for never bothering with a revolver
or a nightstick. He used his fists, huge lethal pistons that could
beat a man senseless in half a heartbeat. To 'get brodericked' was
recognized Broadwayese; it meant to be felled by a single mighty
punch."


--Ben Zimmer

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