Dictionary.com
definitions

fritz

[frits]Informal.
||

Verb Phrases

fritz out, to become inoperable.

RELATED CONTENT

Holy $#!%: Where Did The Symbolic Swear Come From?
Why is @#$%&! naughty? When the force of a swear word is too extreme (but some form of cuss must be used) symbolic stand-ins have long been used for lewdness. Suffice it to say, any emotional keyboard-striker can blurt out something that people perceive as a sub for swears. Whether it’s to diminish the force of swear, to get around censorship rules, or maybe just because symbols are @#$%ing cool …
READ MORE

Idioms

    on the fritz, not in working order: Our TV went on the fritz last night.

Origin of fritz

First recorded in 1900–05; of obscure origin

Fritz

[frits]

noun

Older Slang: Sometimes Offensive. a German, especially a German soldier.
a male given name.

Origin of Fritz

1910–15; < German; common nickname for Friedrich

Usage note

Fritz was a nickname used by Allied soldiers for a German soldier during World War I and II.

Mondale

[mon-deyl]

noun

Walter FrederickFritz, born 1928, U.S. politician: senator 1965–77; vice president 1977–81.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fritz

Contemporary Examples of fritz

Historical Examples of fritz

  • She danced around in such excitement that Fritz barked wildly.

    The Little Colonel

    Annie Fellows Johnston

  • She amused herself by showing Fritz the pictures in an illustrated weekly.

    The Little Colonel

    Annie Fellows Johnston

  • She had expected to keep Fritz in her room at night for company.

    The Little Colonel

    Annie Fellows Johnston

  • They could not help smiling at Fritz as he frisked about in his imposing rose-collar.

    The Little Colonel

    Annie Fellows Johnston

  • “I didn't said dot I vould be a goot sby, Dick,” responded Fritz.

    The Dare Boys of 1776

    Stephen Angus Cox

British Dictionary definitions for fritz

Mondale

noun

Walter (Frederick). born 1928, US Democratic politician; vice president of the US (1977–81)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for fritz

Fritz

German familiar form of masc. proper name Friedrich; as a characteristic name for a German, from 1883, especially in World War I. On the fritz "inoperative" (1903) is American English slang, of unknown origin. Earliest references suggest a theatrical origin.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with fritz

fritz

see on the blink (fritz).

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.