Meaning of on the fritz | Babel Free

Definitions

Of an electrical or mechanical appliances, out of order; malfunctioning; broken.

Northern-US, idiomatic

Equivalents

Examples

“I'd record it, but my tape deck is on the fritz again.”

“My washing machine has gone on the fritz, and I have a load of muddy clothes to clean.”

“Actually, no one had noticed, from what I could tell, though I was alarmed to hear about it. Why was our pilot telling us about questionable brakes and a computer on the fritz when we still had a landing to worry about five hours ahead?”

“No ′40s movie heroine worth the name would have a house that let in gusts of gelid air, had a heating system that went on the fritz constantly and leaked.”

““Or your cell-phone reception went on the fritz. We know how often that happens.””

“Some time ago, a tenant called me and said her refrigerator was on the fritz. I had a spare, so I took it down to her and exchanged it for her old one.”

CEFR level