on the fritz


on the fritz

Not working correctly; acting strangely; malfunctioning. Our washer is on the fritz, so I'm on my way to the laundromat. Mom called the repairman because our TV is on the fritz again.See also: fritz, on

on the fritz

 and on the blinknot operating; not operating correctly. This vacuum cleaner is on the fritz. Let's get it fixed. How long has it been on the blink?See also: fritz, on

on the fritz

see under on the blink. See also: fritz, on

on the fritz

AMERICAN, OLD-FASHIONEDA piece of machinery that is on the fritz is not working properly. My mother's toaster went on the fritz. `They're setting up communications,' Rizzuto said. `But the goddamned mobile command post has gone on the fritz.' Note: The usual British expression is on the blink. See also: fritz, on

on the ˈfritz

(American English, informal) not working: The TV is on the fritz again.See also: fritz, on

on the fritz

1. mod. not functioning properly. My watch is on the fritz. 2. mod. alcohol intoxicated. She drank till she was totally on the fritz. See also: fritz, on

on the fritz

Out of commission; broken. No one really knows the origin of this term, which has been used since about 1900. Everyone agrees that Fritz was a derogatory name for a German, but how—or even if—it became equated with disrepair has been forgotten. P. G. Wodehouse used it in Bill the Conqueror (1924): “Everything’s on the fritz nowadays.”See also: fritz, on