Where does the expression
"it went on the fritz"
come from? Is it English or American?
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Where does the expression
"it went on the fritz"
come from? Is it English or American?
When something goes "on the fritz," it means it isn't working.
Let's watch TV.
Sorry, it's on the fritz.
The origin is unknown, but it is understood by most Americans.
I thought it was WWII AmE based on incorrect German, comparable to FLAK, Kraut, Geesha, etc.
The term was used as far back as 1902, so that time frame does not fit.