phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Come up for air

Posted by R. Berg on November 30, 2001

In Reply to: Come up for air, other meanings of posted by Denis on November 29, 2001

: Dictionaries define "come up for air" as 'to have rest.' Has anybody seen it used in other meanings, e.g. 'come to the surface, become visible'?

Well, yes, there's the literal meaning, of course: of a swimming creature that breathes air (e.g., seal, whale, beaver, otter, human), to rise to the surface of the water in order to inhale.

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.