'Up in the Air' Idiom Meaning, Origin & History | Superduper English Idioms

0:00 - How to Say, “Up in the air.”
0:22 - Examples of “Up in the air.”
1:09 - Meaning of “Up in the air.”
1:26 - Origin of “Up in the air.”
3:21 - More Examples of “Up in the air.”
4:17 - Conclusion

“Up in the air.”

You’ve no doubt heard someone say that something was, “up in the air,” or undecided, undetermined, unclear, uncertain, unresolved.

“Dad and mom’s decision is up in the air - they don’t know whether or not they’ll get us a car,” you might be telling your sister.

Maybe you’re planning a vacation with your family, “My request for time off work is still up in the air, so we shouldn’t book tickets just yet.”

“Your job offer is still up in the air until your background check is completed,” the human resources manager might tell you over the phone.

As you can tell, “up in the air” means that something is subject to change, perhaps in doubt, iffy, dubious, tentative or uncommitted.

The idiom, “up in the air,” is a metaphor for something that is literally up in the air - such as a balloon, a bird or a cloud - and you don’t know where it’s going to land.

According to Bloomsbury International, “up in the air” has been used since at least the 1700s, though people initially just said, “in the air”.

Two idioms opposite to “up in the air” are “to be cemented” and “to be firm”, which are also metaphors and thus easy to picture.

If something is “up in the air,” it is floating around; but if it is “cemented,” it is fixed or “firm” to the ground via heavy concrete, such as a lamp post or building foundation.

You obviously can’t make plans based on a decision that’s “up in the air”, nor can you properly make decisions based on information that’s “up in the air”...

… so, when it comes to your own life and things you can control, it is perhaps best not to leave too many things “up in the air”.

“My major for university is still up in the air - I can’t decide if I want to study architecture, mechanical engineering or chemistry,” your child might be telling you.

Perhaps you’re watching the election on TV, “The results of the election are still up in the air, as all the votes have not yet been counted.”

“We’re still up in the air between the à la carte option and the all-you-can-eat option, could you come back in five minutes?” you might ask a waiter who has come to take your order.

So, the next time that you encounter a choice or something else that is not decided, not confirmed, not known or not complete, you’ll know that it’s “up in the air”.

#superduperenglishidioms #englishidioms #idioms #proverbs