on the fritz

on the fritz
adj, adv
American
malfunctioning, out of order. A synonym of the colloquial 'on the blink'. Fritz here may be the German nickname, probably alluding to imported German goods, thought by Americans in the 1930s to be shoddy. It may alterna-tively echo the sound of a short circuit, a buzzing in electrical equipment. 'We're thinking about getting a doberman since the alarm system went on the fritz.' (Hart to Hart, US TV series, 1981)

Contemporary slang . 2014.

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  • The Fritz Theater — was an experimental theater company in downtown San Diego that existed from 1992 2003, although it has been kept alive by a few people as a company without a home, producing only 1 2 shows a year.In its heydey, The Fritz produced 8 10 shows a… …   Wikipedia

  • The Fritz Hotel — (Майами Бич,США) Категория отеля: 3 звездочный отель Адрес: 524 Ocean Drive, Саут Бич, Майам …   Каталог отелей

  • The Fritz Hotel — (Кейптаун,Южно Африканская Республика) Категория отеля: 3 звездочный отель Адрес: 1 Faur …   Каталог отелей

  • On the Fritz — This article is about music album. For the idiom, see wiktionary:on the fritz. On the Fritz Studio album by …   Wikipedia

  • on the fritz — adverb (or adjective) Etymology: origin unknown : in a state of disrepair usually used with go his supercharger had gone on the fritz G.P.Elliott * * * on the fritz US informal : not working properly We can t listen to music because the stereo is …   Useful english dictionary

  • on the fritz — 1. mod. not functioning properly. □ This TV is on the fritz again. □ My watch is on the fritz. 2. mod. alcohol intoxicated. □ Sue is a bit on the fritz. □ She dr …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • on the fritz — not operating, broken, out of order    The VCR is on the fritz again. We can t watch videos tonight. Several conjectures about the origin can be found on www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa ont4.htm …   English idioms

  • on the fritz — not working in the usual way, or not working at all. The washing machine is on the fritz. Usage notes: usually said of machines …   New idioms dictionary

  • on the fritz — adverb Out of order, malfunctioning, broken. (Used of electrical or mechanical appliances.) Id record it, but my VCR’s on the fritz again …   Wiktionary

  • be on the fritz — American, informal if a piece of equipment or machinery is on the fritz, it does not work as it should. It will be a long, hot summer our air conditioning is on the fritz …   New idioms dictionary

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