subs. and adj. (colloquial).—1. Uncertain; risky; nothing to spare; hasty; superficial: of persons and things. As subs. = (1) a narrow escape, a close shave; and (2) a trifle. Also A NEAR (or CLOSE) TOUCH (or TOUCHER); AS NEAR AS A TOUCHER = as near as may be, very nearly. TO TOUCH AND GO (old coaching: cf. nautical phrase, TO TOUCH BOTTOM = to graze the shallows) = (1) to drive close enough to TOUCH and escape injury (HOTTEN: a trick of the old jarveys to show their skill); hence (2) applied to anything within an ace of ruin: cf. quot. 1549, s.v. TOUCH (phrases).
1831. S. E. FERRIER, Destiny, iii. So it was with Glenroy and his lady. It had been TOUCH-AND-GO with them for many a day; and now, from less to more, from bad to worse, it ended in a threatened separation.
1860. G. A. SALA, The Baddington Peerage, I. 188. It was a near TOUCHER, though.
1853. DICKENS, Bleak House, iv. And there we are in four minutes time, as NEAR AS A TOUCHER. Ibid. (1866), Mugby Junction, 27/1. The next instant the hind coach passed my engine by a shave. It was the nearest TOUCH I ever saw.
1887. St. James’s Gazette, 25 Oct. Herr Ludwig had A TOUCH-AND-GO journey before he caught the Servia.
1888. H. JAMES, The Liar. It had been TOUCH AND GO to that degree that they couldn’t come near him.
1888. Academy, 3 March, 148. The illusive TOUCH-AND-GO manner.
1889. MARGARET OLIPHANT, A Poor Gentleman, xii. It was as Rochford felt, TOUCH AND GO, very delicate work with Sir Edward.
