Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site heurikon.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!teddy!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!uwvax!heurikon!jeff From: jeff@heurikon.UUCP (Jeffrey Mattox) Newsgroups: net.misc,net.nlang Subject: Where does "on the fritz" come from? Message-ID: <130@heurikon.UUCP> Date: Thu, 17-Jan-85 01:15:34 EST Article-I.D.: heurikon.130 Posted: Thu Jan 17 01:15:34 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 21-Jan-85 01:24:45 EST Organization: Heurikon Corp., Madison WI Lines: 11 Xref: watmath net.misc:7316 net.nlang:2442 Does anyone know the origin of the phrase: "It's on the fritz"? A piece on NPR about language asked if anybody knew this. So far, nobody has been able to document the basis of this phrase. (No, it has nothing to do with Mondale.) -- /"""\ Jeffrey Mattox, Heurikon Corp, Madison, WI |O.O| {harpo, hao, philabs}!seismo!uwvax!heurikon!jeff (news & mail) \_=_/ ihnp4!heurikon!jeff (mail - fast)