Etymology: Middle English brekyl, brickyll, brukyl fragile, weak,
brittle, probably from Old English -brucol (as in [AE]brucol
sacrilegious, onbrucol rugged, scipbrucol causing shipwreck), from
brecan to break -- more at BREAK
dialect : BRITTLE
©W3

so, work brittle: think Maynard G. Krebs (work!!)

but is this just opposite of your father's usage?