touch and go

¹ American  

noun

1. a precarious or delicate state of affairs.

   It was touch and go there for a while during the operation.

2. quick action or movement.

   the touch and go of city traffic.

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touch-and-go ² American  

[tuhch-uhn-goh] / ˈtʌtʃ ənˈgoʊ /

adjective

1. risky; precarious.

   a touch-and-go descent down the mountain.

2. hasty, sketchy, or desultory.

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touch and go British  

adjective

1. (touch-and-go when prenominal) risky or critical

   a touch-and-go situation

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touch and go Cultural  

1. Uncertain or precarious: “The doctors told the patient that, even though her disease was in remission, from now on it was touch and go.”

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touch and go Idioms  

1. Extremely uncertain or risky, as in It was touch and go after the surgery; we were not sure he'd survive it, or It was touch and go but they finally gave me a seat on the plane. This idiom implies that a mere touch may cause a calamity. [Early 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of touch and go¹

First recorded in 1645–55

Origin of touch-and-go¹

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

Touch and go perhaps, but the PDC know what they will be getting if he's included.

From BBC

But the appropriators have continued their work through this period… So it’s a touch and go day-by-day analysis that we have here as a leadership team.

From The Wall Street Journal

When the band started, it was as inspired by Modest Mouse as it was iconic Chicago hardcore label Touch and Go Records, the singer said.

From Los Angeles Times

An extract, published in the Times on Thursday, revealed that the late star got sepsis at the start of this year, and it "was really was touch and go" at one stage.

From BBC

“It was touch and go for a while!”

From Salon