FRITZ
What does "FRITZ" mean?
A state of being broken or malfunctioning, used in the phrase 'on the fritz.'
Meanings
- A condition of not working properly, almost always in the idiom 'on the fritz.' The air conditioner went on the fritz during the heat wave. informal
- A nickname or given name of German origin, short for Friedrich. His grandfather, a baker named Fritz, came over from Bavaria.
Word origin
The idiom 'on the fritz' appeared in early-20th-century American slang; its origin is genuinely unknown, though it may echo the fizzing or sputtering sound of failing machinery.
Remember it
When a gadget goes on the FRITZ, it FRIES with a Z of dying buzz.
A little poem
The fridge hums wrong, a stuttered note,
the bulb blinks out, the clock won't keep -
the whole house clearing its throat.
tercet
Wordplay
- My German friend's appliances never break down. He says nothing in his house ever goes on the Fritz - that's just what he calls his uncle.
What it teaches
Things fail in their own grammar; learn the small wrong sounds and you'll hear trouble before it arrives.
Quick facts
What does FRITZ mean?
A state of being broken or malfunctioning, used in the phrase 'on the fritz.'
Is FRITZ a valid word?
Yes — FRITZ is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is FRITZ?
FRITZ has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does FRITZ come from?
The idiom 'on the fritz' appeared in early-20th-century American slang; its origin is genuinely unknown, though it may echo the fizzing or sputtering sound of failing machinery.
What can FRITZ teach us?
Things fail in their own grammar; learn the small wrong sounds and you'll hear trouble before it arrives.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.