Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site amdahl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!sun!amdahl!gam From: gam@amdahl.UUCP (gam) Newsgroups: net.misc,net.nlang Subject: Re: Where does "on the fritz" come from? Message-ID: <971@amdahl.UUCP> Date: Fri, 18-Jan-85 04:38:04 EST Article-I.D.: amdahl.971 Posted: Fri Jan 18 04:38:04 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 20-Jan-85 06:14:34 EST References: <130@heurikon.UUCP> Organization: Blue Mouse Trailer Resort, Hellmouth, CA Lines: 14 Xref: watmath net.misc:7313 net.nlang:2441 > Does anyone know the origin of the phrase: > "It's on the fritz"? I couldn't find where it came from, but the first usage I found was 1928: "That glycerine was on the fritz..." (American Mercury, Aug, 487/2.). The first use of "fritz" as a verb was in 1948. "Fritz" was a common name for a German soldier (mostly used by British soldiers) during WWI; don't know how this ties in, if it does. -- Gordon A. Moffett ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,sun}!amdahl!gam