Air quotes, also called finger quotes or Ersatz quotes ( /ɛərˈzɑːts/; German for replacement) are virtual quotation marks formed in the air with one's fingers when speaking. This is typically done with hands held shoulder-width apart and at the eye level of the speaker, with the index and middle fingers on each hand flexing at the beginning and end of the phrase being quoted.[1] The air-quoted phrase is generally very short—a few words at most—in common usage, though sometimes much longer phrases may be used for comedic effect.
While the term "air quotes" did not appear until 1989, use of similar gestures has been recorded as early as 1927.[1] A single handed quote is an equivalent, though less dramatic variation.
The gesture was used routinely in the TV show Celebrity Charades (1979) as the standard signal for a quote or phrase.
The trend became very popular in the 1990s, attributed by many to comedian Steve Martin, who often used them with exaggerated emphasis in his stand-up shows.[2]
Air quotes are often used to express satire, sarcasm, irony or euphemism, and are analogous to scare quotes in print.
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