Snicklefritz

The word Snicklefritz or Schnickelfritz is known in certain cultures as a term of affection.^[1] Most uses of the term are applied to young children, as a reference to a mischievous or talkative child.^[2] However, it may have also been used as slang for an adult, meaning “silly fellow”. This appears to have been the intention for The Schnickelfritz Band, led by Freddie Fisher. They were a comedy musical group, featured in the 1938 film, Gold Diggers in Paris. Snicklefritz is also a character on the children's television program, The Big Comfy Couch.

Considering similar German terms, many larger bilingual German-English dictionaries include the word Schnickschnack, which is defined as chit-chat or tittle-tattle and nonsense. The Wahrig Deutsches Wörterbuch (Wahrig German Dictionary)^[3][4] indicates this noun is a doubling of Schnack which also means chit-chat and drivel. An informal verb, schnicken, means to jerk or seize, implying fast or choppy movements. Whether the aforementioned terms relate entirely to snicklefritz is not known, but would appear to be closely related in referring to a chatty or impulsive person. Moreover, the word (or nickname) “Fritz” is German slang for the names Friedrich or Frederick.

"Schnickelfritz" is generally thought to be German slang that a relative would use as a term of endearment for a child. It roughly translates to "little rascal."^[5]

Schnickelfritz is also the name of a Bar & Grill in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. They opened in 2011, and are located in the heart of the downtown area.^[6][7]

"Schnickelfritz" has appeared in film as the name of a racing mouse in Billy Wilder's Stalag 17, and a strain of marijuana in Pineapple Express.

References