# Die Autofritzen



## seitt

Hi,

Please see:
http://www.pointoo.de/poi/Nierstein/Die-Autofritzen-754706.html

What does Autofritzen mean? What is the singular?

All the best, and many thanks,

Simon


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## Frank78

Hi Simon,

it's something like "the car lads/guys".

"-fritze" is the singular, e.g. Versicherungsfritze.


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## Demiurg

The singular is "-fritz" or "-fritze". It's derived from the first name "Fritz" and colloquially used for "guy" (sometimes derogatory).


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## Hutschi

It depends.
The name is derived from the name "Fritz", at least in folk etymology. but in our case it is a nick name, and the usage at least in my area for the combination is "Fritze".
But it is not a name anymore. As Frank wrote, it is in this form an expression, meaning lad or guy.

And for this we say "der Fritze" - maybe in Demiurg's region they speak it also without "e".

In plural it is only used in combined words in this sense. "Die Fritzen" (alone) means "die Deutschen".

But in combinations it means "lads, guys" in the sense of experts.

So "Autofritzen" are persons who are working with cars or repairing cars.


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## Demiurg

Hutschi said:


> The name is derived from the name "Fritz", at least in folk etymology.


It's the same with "-heini" (from "Heinrich"): _Versicherungsheini_.


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## Hutschi

Exactly. In this case the plural is "...heinis".
Add-on:
For me it sounds more derogatory than "...fritzen". But this may also depend on region.
"...fritzen" can also be appreciative (anerkennend) - I do not see such connotation with "...heinis".


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## Gernot Back

Demiurg said:


> It's the same with "-heini" (from "Heinrich"): _Versicherungsheini_.



This is definitely derogatory, and so is _Autofritze_.

Another derogatory combining form (suffixoid) of this kind is -_fuzzi _(e.G. _Werbefuzzi _I can't think of a first name as a model for  -_fuzzi_) or for females -tussi (e.G. _Supermarkttussi, _from the first name _Thusnelda_).

When you call someone with names like this it implies that you don't take them or their jobs seriously.


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## Hutschi

I think in case of "Autofritze" it can be degorative, but also appreciative (in the sense of "expert"). This depends on context.


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## seitt

Many thanks, excellent.


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## dec-sev

Hutschi said:


> I think in case of "Autofritze" it can be degorative, but also appreciative (in the sense of "expert"). This depends on context.


Und welches Word sollte man benutzen wenn es um ein Mädchen ginge, die sich in Wagen auskennen? "Tussi" ist doch abwertend.


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## ABBA Stanza

dec-sev said:


> Und welches Word sollte man benutzen wenn es um ein Mädchen ginge, die sich in Wagen auskennen? "Tussi" ist doch abwertend.


_Kfz-Tante_ vielleicht? Klingt aber auch nicht gerade positiv. 

Cheers,
Abba


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## Thomas W.

Hutschi said:


> ...
> "Die Fritzen" (alone) means "die Deutschen".
> ...



In my opinion, "Die Fritzen" for "the Germans" is not a German expression and would only be understood by someone who knows its meaning from English (where "Fritz" is a very common derogatory word for Germans).


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## Thomas W.

dec-sev said:


> Und welches Word sollte man benutzen wenn es um ein Mädchen ginge, die sich in Wagen auskennen? "Tussi" ist doch abwertend.



Vielleicht "die Automiezen" bzw. "die KFZ-Miezen"? (it has a sexual overtone, though)


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## Thomas W.

Gernot Back said:


> This is definitely derogatory, and so is _Autofritze_.
> 
> Another derogatory combining form (suffixoid) of this kind is -_fuzzi _(e.G. _Werbefuzzi _I can't think of a first name as a model for  -_fuzzi_) or for females -tussi (e.G. _Supermarkttussi, _from the first name _Thusnelda_).
> 
> When you call someone with names like this it implies that you don't take them or their jobs seriously.



-_fuzzi_ is definitely derogatory, thats true. 
-_tussi_ is mostly used in a derogatory way, but can also be used in a good-natured jocular manner
-_fritze _is, as I see it, equivalent to "the car guys / the ... guys" in English, and - as in English - mostly *not* meant in a derogatory way


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## Gernot Back

Thomas W. said:


> -_fritze _is, as I see it, equivalent to "the car guys / the ... guys" in English, and - as in English - mostly *not* meant in a derogatory way


Yes, but you are certainly not talking in a very respectful way about these _car guys_, when referring to them as _Autofritzen_ in German.


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## Lavernock

Könnten wir "carfreaks" auf Englisch sagen?


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## Gernot Back

Lavernock said:


> Könnten wir "carfreaks" auf Englisch sagen?


Nein, Freaks das wäre etwas anderes. "_Carfreaks_" wären eher "_Autonarren_" auf Deutsch (people who are very enthusiastic about their cars/die hätten einen Narren an ihrem Auto gefressen).
Autofritzen are simply people who earn a living with cars.


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## Thomas W.

Gernot Back said:


> Yes, but you are certainly not talking in a very respectful way about these _car guys_, when referring to them as _Autofritzen_ in German.



Yes, it is not respectful. It is very informal. But so is "car guys".


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## Gernot Back

Thomas W. said:


> Yes, it is not respectful. It is very informal. But so is "car guys".


No, I think English "_guy_" is by far less disrespectful than German "-_fritze_" or "-_heini_" is.


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## Lavernock

Gernot Back said:


> Nein, Freaks das wäre etwas anderes. "_Carfreaks_" wären eher "_Autonarren_" auf Deutsch (people who are very enthusiastic about their cars/die hätten einen Narren an ihrem Auto gefressen).
> Autofritzen are simply people who earn a living with cars.



Vielen Dank für die Antwort. Sowas lernt man nur hier, und ich finde das alles sehr interessant.


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## Thomas W.

Gernot Back said:


> No, I think English "_guy_" is by far less disrespectful than German "-_fritze_" or "-_heini_" is.



"-_heini_" is not only disrespectful, it is an insult
"-_fritze_" is not

We agree to disagree, I guess.


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## Gernot Back

Thomas W. said:


> We agree to disagree, I guess.



Dann mache ich jetzt noch einen letzten Versuch auf Deutsch, dich zu überzeugen:

Ich wurde letztens von der Kölner Webagentur, wo ich als Entwickler arbeite, zur Arbeit vor Ort an einem Online-Projekt bei einem Kunden in einer anderen Stadt geschickt. Dort waren mir und weiteren Kölner Kollegen vom Kunden Arbeitsplätze in einem Büro eingerichtet worden, wo dann auch andere Projektbeteiligte von anderen Firmen aus Süddeutschland saßen.

Die Leute von SAP schnappten dann irgendwann auf, dass über sie entweder von einem meiner Kollegen oder den Mitarbeitern einer weiteren am Projekt beteiligten Firma als den "_SAP-Menschen_" gesprochen wurde. 

Eine solche Bezeichnung, noch dazu im Beisein der Betroffenen, wäre zwar auch  despektierlicher, als wenn man ganz neutral von den "_Leuten von SAP_" gesprochen hätte. Aber schon wenn man "_SAP-Fritzen_" gesagt hätte, hätten die Projektkollegen der Firma SAP das wahrscheinlich nicht mehr so lustig gefunden und erst recht nicht, wenn man sie "_SAP-Heinis_" oder "_SAP-Fuzzis_" genannt hätte.

Dein "_car guy_" ist meines Erachtens auf dem noch sehr geringen Level an  Despektierlichkeit von "_Auto-Mensch_", ich würde es aber noch lange nicht auf eine Stufe mit Bildungen auf Eigennamen wie "_-Fritze_" oder "_-Heini_" stellen. Das geht, was die Distanzlosigkeit betrifft, noch einen Schritt weiter und zwar den entscheidenden Schritt zu weit, wie ich meine, wenn man (zumal in deren Beisein) über fremde Personen spricht.


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## berndf

Thomas W. said:


> "-_heini_" is not only disrespectful, it is an insult
> "-_fritze_" is not
> 
> We agree to disagree, I guess.


In the US, there are car dealerships with the business name "The Car Guy". Could you imagine a German dealership calling themselves "Der Autofritze" (unless the owner is called Fritz)? A nickname "The Car Guy" can be borne with pride meaning "the car specialist, professional or expert".

In both the US and the UK*, a person could describe himself saying "I am a car guy" meaning that he "is into cars" or at least uses his car extensively. In German you might say "Ich bin ein Auto-Mensch". Again, no-one would (unless meant self-ironically) say "Ich bin ein Autofritze".

The two expressions differ significantly as to level of (dis-)respectfulness.
_______________________________________________
_* Since about the 1970s "guy" is use like in the US. Before that time, referring to a person as a "guy" was an extremely serious insult in Britain._


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## Demiurg

berndf said:


> Could you imagine a German dealership calling themselves "Der Autofritze" (unless the owner is called Fritz)?


I agree with you in principle, but that's the exactly case here: Die Autofritzen. 

It may be a "nom de guerre".


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## berndf

Demiurg said:


> ...that's the exactly case here: Die Autofritzen.


Interesting


Demiurg said:


> It may be a "nom de guerre".


Or self-irony.


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## Sidjanga

berndf said:


> Could you imagine a German dealership calling themselves "Der Autofritze" (unless the owner is called Fritz)?


That's exactly what seitt's question was about: 


seitt said:


> Please see:
> http://www.pointoo.de/poi/Nierstein/Die-Autofritzen-754706.html


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## Gernot Back

Demiurg said:


> It may be a "nom de guerre".


Dieser Kölner Brillen-Heini "_Karl-*Heinz Augendübler*_" braucht so etwas nicht.


berndf said:


> Interesting
> Or self-irony.


, weil er die offensichtlich hat.


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## berndf

Sidjanga said:


> That's exactly what seitt's question was about:


Oops, I had forgotten that already.


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