Air Idioms

Several words have found themselves used in a number of phrases. We looked at 'face' last time and this time it's 'air'.

Up in the air, to mean 'uncertain', is first recorded in 1752.

Castles in the air, a phrase referring to ideas which are impractical, dates back to 1590. The following century we also see the word 'airmonger', describing someone who dreams of such visionary and impractical projects.

On the air or being broadcasted, is seen for the first time in 1927. Airplay also made its debut in the same year.

Air pollution may have existed before 1870, but reference as that is seen prior to then.

Air guitar was not played by anyone before 1983, at least nobody called it that.

Air traffic controller is first seen in 1956, presumably air traffic was controlled in the three or four decades or flight before then, even if the job holder did not have that job title.

Hot air, describing someone boastful, is seen from 1900, although hot air balloons were described as such from 1813.

Open air, or outdoors, is recorded as such in 1520.

Air fresheners were not recorded as such until as recently as 1945.

Air lock, such as those used in submarines and spacecraft, is used as early as 1851 when, we assume, they still hadn't built a spaceship.

Air brake, it works on compressed air, is a term first seen in 1872.

Air mail, that is mail delivered by aircraft, is first seen in 1913 - that is just 10 years after the Wright brothers made their first flight in the aircraft named, rather unimaginatively, Wright Flyer.

Air bags, I would have thought, was a comparatively modern invention and would certainly have come after the car. And I would be correct, with the first air bags fitted as safety features in 1970. But this is nowhere near the first mention of an air bag, this came in 1836. In that time air bags were used to raise sunken vessels.

Airspace today is that part of the atmosphere above a country for which they claim responsibility. Not possible before aircraft you would think, but you would be wrong for that use dates from 1910. Prior to that 'airspace' referred to the volume of air inside a room, in particular when speaking of whether the room could comfortably house a certain number and was used for boarding rooms, hospitals, etc., and first seen in 1852. But there is an earlier reference from 1847, used to refer to the airspace between the powder charge and the projectile in firearms. And there is an even earlier reference, this dates from 1821. Airspace in those days referred to the air filling a stove or furnace.

Air brush, as a verb referring to touching up images, dates from 1902. Prior to that an air brush was a noun, an atomiser for spraying inks and paints.

Touch Idioms

Several words have found themselves used in a number of phrases. We looked at 'word' last time and this time it's 'touch'

Touch and go is derived from a chasing game originating in the early 18th century. Note, this is not an acronym for TAG.

Touch football, where the player is considered tackled and has to cede possession, is first seen in 1933.

Touch-me-not is older than the previous two, dating from around 1590 and translated from the Latin noli-me-tangere.

Touch up, in the sense of making corrections to a painting or work of art, is seen from 1715. The sexual reference is difficult to pin down, but appears to be a 20th century adaptation of the earlier usage.

Touch screen technology may only have been popular with the coming of the first iPhone in 2007, but the technology dates back to 1965. Oddly, the phrase did not come into use until 1974, meaning for nine years the touch screen was called ....... well, we don't know.

Touch type is held to have been popularised by Frank Edward McGurrin, a court stenographer from Salt Lake City in Utah, USA. It is likely the skill had been perfected not long after the typewriter was invented in the early 17th century, but McGurrin advertised teaching the skill in 1888 and is the first written evidence as touch typing. That early typewriter would never have seen any touch typing, for the machine invented by Henry Mill was never mass produced and, more importantly, was never known as a typewrite but known as a 'machine for transcribing letters'.

Touchdown, a term synonymous with American football, was first used in 1864 but in the sport of rugby. No aircraft is known to have touched down before 1935. That is not to say they didn't land safely, just that the phrase was not used until then.