fritz

1. Northern USinformaluncountableThe state of being defective.
2. AustraliaSouthuncountableA type of processed meat sausage; devon

   Generally, cooked deli products include Devon, Strasbourg sausage, Polish sausage, fritz, cabanossi or cabana, mortadella, and well-cooked roast beef (brown/grey in colour).

   2000, Peter Cerexhe, John Ashton, Risky Foods, Safer Choices: Avoiding Food Poisoning, page 52

present singular third person fritzes · participle present fritzing · participle past fritzed · past fritzed

1. intransitiveTo go wrong or become defective.

   My brain was fritzing like an elderly TV set about to die. I hit the side of my head with the heel of my hand. Percussive maintenance. It didn't work.

   2009, Jaqueline Girdner, Murder, My Deer, page 15

   1 more example

   One clip, of Talking Heads playing “Born Under Punches” in Rome in 1980, is shot largely at groin level, amid sound equipment that is being manipulated for feedback squeals and other effects; it’s like being close to the crooked spine and fritzed nervous system of a body that’s simultaneously pushing its sex appeal.

   2008 May 18, Virginia Heffernan, “Pixels at an Exhibition”, in New York Times

plural Fritzes

1. UKethnicoffensiveslurA German person, usually male.

   Someone sent up a shout and word came that oil had begun to show on the water—that meant one less submarine afloat! Again the roar of guns—again the shout! Two Fritzes sunk. . . !

   1918, Elaine Sterne, Over the Seas for Uncle Sam

   Synonyms: Boche, jerry, Kraut, Hun

plural Fritzes

1. UKoffensiveA name used to represent the German people (particularly the German armed forces) as a group.

   You! Fritz! Tell us where the ammunition's kept!

   3 more examples

   But if Fritz is stationed in that patch of woodland, we've got no chance!

   […]so Fritz could sleep easily in his trench, so far as mines were concerned; and Fritz, confident in his Herr Professors, altogether neglected any attempt to counter-mine.

   1923, Frank Fox, “The Man-Made Earthquake”, in Charles Francis Horne, The Great Events of the Great War, volume 5

   'Fritz is pounding away at the crossing,' he said. 'We'd do better to wait till things quieten down.'

   1952, Vasily Grossman, translated by Robert Chandler and Yury Bit-Yunan, Stalingrad, page 227

2. A diminutive of the male given name Friedrich.

   “Has she any children?” asked the practical Johannes. / “Just one—a nice boy, too. Thirteen. Fritz is his name.” Jakob chuckled. “Just the same as your brother. That’s a good one—there’ll be two Fritzes in one family!”

   1943, Madeleine Goss, Robert Haven Schauffler, “Black Forest Magic”, in Brahms: The Master, New York, N.Y.: Henry Holt and Company, →OCLC, page 205

   1 more example

   Uncle Fritz “talked eyes” when he was the most deeply aggrieved; and little Fritz found it most unpleasant to have an American relative addicted to the same bad habit. She came into the room just then and there, and, seeing the two Fritzes in such confidential discussion, would have speedily withdrawn, had not the gentleman risen and begged her to remain.

   1892, Evelyn Raymond, chapter VII, in Mixed Pickles, New York, N.Y.: Thomas Y. Crowell Co. […], →OCLC, page 81

3. A surname from German.

   The highly anticipated all-American matchup between Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe — marking the first US Open semifinals between two US men in nearly 20 years — will cost you quite a few Honey Deuces to attend.

   2024 September 6, Jordan Valinsky, “Ticket prices for the all-American men’s matchup at the US Open are surging”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 23 May 2025