Folk Speech/Slang

Nationality: African-American
Age: 77
Occupation: Retired
Residence: Marion, OH
Performance Date: March 25, 2008
Primary Language: English

Folk Speech/Slang: “Aw Fritzy Fritzy”

Anne Harrison learned this saying from her grandmother when she was a little girl, probably around 13 years old. Anne’s interpretation goes as follows:

“My grandma had adopted a girl named Jane Adams. She hadn’t physically adopted her, she just spent most of her time at my house cuz her mother had died. And Jane was a little on the fast side. She would never sit still, always shakin’ herself and tryna dance or somethin. And my Grandmother said, “Lil gal why don’t you sit down! Everytime I look at you its Aw Fritzy Fritzy!” Anne said this saying is used when there’s somebody always up showin their self or can’t sit still. In other words trying to show off.”

Anne uses the term “showin’ off” to describe someone who possesses promiscuous characteristics or behavior or for someone who is an attention seeker and acts inappropriately to catch someone’s interest. “Can’t sit still” is describing someone who is always moving around and cannot rest in one place but has to constantly remain busy. The context in which this is used based off of Anne’s interpretation seems to only be used for children, but I could also see this saying used to describe adult behavior as well. For example, if someone comes in dressed inappropriately for work and is trying to flirt with the boss one could say, “She flirts all the time. Aw Fritzy Fritzy”.

I agree with Anne’s interpretation of Aw Fritzy Fritzy, and I have also seen this saying manifested in various versions and contexts. Anne Harrison is my grandmother and she has used this term on many different occasions when describing the acts of her grandchildren or other children she observed. If my brother and I were always fidgeting and meddling with her belongings she would scold us by saying, “Brittaney and Murphy sit down. You’re just movin’ all over the place. Aw Fritzy Fritzy!” I have found this term to accompany statements of discipline.  On other occasions, my family will use this term as a comedic statement. For example, if we see a licentious man/women on television, someone may shout out, “Aw Fritzy Fritzy!”, and the entire room will start to laugh.

This saying’s diverse versions reflect the folkloric characteristics multiplicity and variation that can be found amongst one group of individuals.