fritz meaning (informal): definition, etymology and quotations

fritz

nounalso spelled Fritz

/fɹɪts/

Etymology Unknown. See on the fritz, which appeared in 1902. Possibly from German name Fritz, or onomatopoeia.

Northern US, Informal The state of being defective.

Australia, South A type of processed meat sausage; devon

Generally, cooked deli products include Devon, Strasbourg sausage, Polish sausage, fritz, cabanossi or cabana, mortadella, and well-cooked roast beef (brown/grey in colour).2000, Peter Cerexhe, John Ashton, Risky Foods, Safer Choices: Avoiding Food Poisoning, page 52:

verb

Etymology Unknown. See on the fritz, which appeared in 1902. Possibly from German name Fritz, or onomatopoeia.

To go wrong or become defective.

One clip, of Talking Heads playing “Born Under Punches” in Rome in 1980, is shot largely at groin level, amid sound equipment that is being manipulated for feedback squeals and other effects; it’s like being close to the crooked spine and fritzed nervous system of a body that’s simultaneously pushing its sex appeal.2008 May 18, Virginia Heffernan, “Pixels at an Exhibition”, in New York Times:
My brain was fritzing like an elderly TV set about to die. I hit the side of my head with the heel of my hand. Percussive maintenance. It didn't work.2009, Jaqueline Girdner, Murder, My Deer, page 15:

noun

Etymology Borrowed from German Fritz, pet form of Friedrich (“Frederick”).

UK, Ethnic, Offensive, Slur A German person, usually male.

Someone sent up a shout and word came that oil had begun to show on the water—that meant one less submarine afloat! Again the roar of guns—again the shout! Two Fritzes sunk. . . !1918, Elaine Sterne, Over the Seas for Uncle Sam:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — authors: page histories for fritz and Fritz.