Do people still air guitar? It seems it was popular with the power ballads and fun pop tunes of the '80s and '90s and the crazy licks of rock and metal back in the day. My husband cringes whenever a tune from the '90s with one of those 2-minute guitar solos is playing—chances are I'll break out into a dramatic air guitar singalong. Whether in a grocery store or in the car, if Spin Doctors' "Two Princes" comes on, watch out, I just can't help myself!
When playing an air guitar, it doesn't really matter what your fingers are doing on the neck of the imaginary instrument as long as their movements resemble the timing and dynamics of the solo. This means that non [real]guitar-playing individuals may "place" their fingers on the wrong "fret" altogether when playing an air guitar and get away with it. Sadly, air quoting has become a finger-happy accompaniment to conversation where people seem to think that similar rules apply (as in no rules whatsoever).
Air quoting has been around for several decades, and it can be quite a helpful visual in conversation. Why not "draw" quotation marks in the air at the beginning and end of a quote to let your conversation partner, class or viewers know that what you're saying is a quotation? It makes perfect sense. However, we use air quotes when speaking for a lot more than just to show actual quotations.
Air quotes are also used to identify when a word or phrase is used ironically or sarcastically or in an unusual manner. For instance, look back at how I used quotation marks around the word "place" a couple paragraphs ago or how I used quotation marks around the word "draw" in the previous paragraph. In both of those instances, the words are being used in a way that is slightly different from their true meaning. I can't actually place my fingers on an imaginary guitar fret as there's nothing to place them on. Therefore, I "place" them. In the same way, I can't draw in the air, so I "draw" in the air.
All too often, though, I see people using air quotes as a means of stress in a conversation. For instance, let's say I'm supposed to meet you and another friend for lunch, but only you show up. I might ask, "Where's Jackie?" If you say that Jackie called and said she couldn't come because she's sick, then I'm fine with that answer. But if you lift your hands and curl your air-quote fingers when you say "sick," then I'm a bit confused. She's not sick then? Oh, she's faking being sick. That would be my assumption because of the use of the air quotes.
You might think you're just stressing the word "sick" by air quoting it. However, you're actually suggesting that "sick" is a slight twisting of the truth and that Jackie just didn't want to come to lunch. She lied about being sick. All that information came from four fingers—two on either "side" of a spoken word. Now, I have no idea why Jackie didn't join us for lunch, and I might just call her up later and give her a piece of my mind; unless, of course, she's actually sick.
Next time you feel the urge to use those bunny ear gestures, think twice. Are you assisting your listeners in understanding your meaning, or could you potentially be causing friendship drama or worse? Gestures can portray quite a bit of meaning, so make sure you know what you're "saying" when you use those air quotations.
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