fritz

[frits]Informal.

Verb Phrases

fritz out, to become inoperable.

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. 2018

Examples from the Web for fritz

Contemporary Examples of fritz

Hitchcock also met Fritz Lang, who was later to work in Hollywood.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days
David Freeman
December 13, 2014
I ordered the same beer she had, and for the next two hours, we drank this refreshing brew: Fritz Briem Berliner Weisse “1809.”
Wine Snobs, There’s a Beer for You
Jordan Salcito
April 5, 2014
And then she tasted the Fritz Briem Berliner Weisse 1809, and everything changed.
Wine Snobs, There’s a Beer for You
Jordan Salcito
April 5, 2014
McMahon, who succeeds Fritz Winans, was the former CEO of St. John.
Jay Z Speaks Up About Barneys
The Fashion Beast Team
October 28, 2013
Listen to any score by Richard Rodgers or Leonard Bernstein or Fritz Loewe if you want to hear genuine melodic invention.
Why All the Hate for Les Mis?
Megan McArdle
January 7, 2013

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.

Idioms and Phrases with fritz

fritz

see on the blink (fritz).