fritz
fritz Lexical Profile
fritz Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A state of malfunction, disrepair, or improper working order, used almost exclusively in the phrase 'on the fritz'.
"The office air conditioner is on the fritz again, so we had to open all the windows."
Australian A type of large, mild, precooked sausage made from finely ground pork and spices, popular in South Australia.
"She packed a simple lunch of tomato and fritz sandwiches for the road trip across South Australia."
• verb
To malfunction, fail, or cease working properly, especially due to an electrical or mechanical fault (often followed by 'out').
"The old television screen began to flicker and fritz out right in the middle of the broadcast."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a noun meaning malfunction, 'fritz' is almost exclusively restricted to the fixed colloquial phrase 'on the fritz'. In South Australia, 'fritz' is a regional term for a large, mild, precooked pork sausage similar to Devon or baloney.
• Rhymes for fritz
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in American English around the turn of the 20th century, 'on the fritz' is likely an imitative formation echoing the sizzling sound of an electrical short circuit, or derived from the German personal name Fritz (a diminutive of Friedrich) used in period slang.