Fred Mertz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. Please rewrite this article or section to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective.

Fred Mertz is a fictional character in the 1950s American sitcom I Love Lucy. He is a World War I veteran and often talks about his times in the war. He is married to Ethel Mertz, and they often jokingly make fun of each other. Ethel often calls Fred a "fat old goat", and in return Fred calls Ethel the "bottomless pit" as she eats often. He is a penny-pincher and gives Ethel very little money. When he was younger, he was in show business with his friend, Barney Kurtz. Eventually, Fred and Ethel retired and bought an apartment house. Fred's best friend, Ricky Ricardo, and Ricky's wife, Lucy, live in the apartment house.

Ricky often does something to upset Lucy, and Lucy then plots revenge and drags Ethel into her plan. Ethel almost always blabs to Fred, who tells Ricky, and the two come up with their own plan to get even with their wives.