touch and go

Meaning

This expression describes a situation that is highly uncertain, risky, or precarious, where the outcome is unclear until the very last moment. It is frequently used in casual business conversations to talk about tight deadlines, critical negotiations, or project approvals. The tone is informal and conversational, often conveying a sense of relief once the danger has passed.

Examples

• It was touch and go for a while, but the client finally signed the contract right before the deadline.

  It was touch and go for a while, but the client finally signed the contract right before the deadline.

• Our funding approval was touch and go last week, but the board eventually greenlit the budget.

  Our funding approval was touch and go last week, but the board eventually greenlit the budget.

• With the shipping delays, it's going to be touch and go whether we get the inventory in time for the launch.

  With the shipping delays, it's going to be touch and go whether we get the inventory in time for the launch.

• The system migration was touch and go for a couple of hours, but everything is stable now.

  The system migration was touch and go for a couple of hours, but everything is stable now.

• It was touch and go whether we’d make a profit this quarter, but the holiday sales saved us.

  It was touch and go whether we’d make a profit this quarter, but the holiday sales saved us.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The project status is very touch-and-go.

  ✓ The project status was touch and go.

  While it can modify a noun directly (e.g., 'a touch-and-go situation'), it sounds unnatural to use 'very touch-and-go' as a predicate adjective. Use 'it was touch and go' instead.

• ✗ It was touch and run whether we would pass the audit.

  ✓ It was touch and go whether we would pass the audit.

  Non-native speakers sometimes mistakenly substitute 'go' with other action verbs like 'run' or 'move'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• It was ___ whether we would get the permit on time, but we managed.

  💡 An idiom meaning precarious or highly uncertain.

  Show answer

  touch and go

• With the storm delaying flights, getting to the conference on time is going to be ___.

  💡 Describes a risky situation where the outcome is uncertain.

  Show answer

  touch and go