Air Quotes As a Verb?

[natalia.kyrch]

Hello!

Can I use 'air quote' as a verb in a sentence?
For example:
"I'm lucky to have an apartment on Fifth Avenue," she said with a smile. "It's not the place where 'mere mortals' live," she air quoted.

Thank you.

 

[Rover_KE]

I’ve never seen it done and can’t imagine it catching on any time soon.

 

[emsr2d2]

I've never seen it and I don't find it natural. Apart from anything else, it's hard to make it clear that you mean she only did the air quotes sign around one or two words, rather than the whole phrase.

 

[natalia.kyrch]

I've never seen it and I don't find it natural. Apart from anything else, it's hard to make it clear that you mean she only did the air quotes sign around one or two words, rather than the whole phrase.

Does the following sentence sound ok?

"I'm lucky to have an apartment on Fifth Avenue," she said with a smile. "It's not the place where... 'mere mortals' live," she paused to do air quotes around 'mere mortals'.

 

[probus]

It sounds perfectly natural to me.

 

[jutfrank]

"It's not the place where 'mere mortals' live," she air quoted.

I think it's fine.

 

[Tdol]

I think it's fine.

It's clear enough, but I doubt it will catch on because the words in air quotes could be anywhere.

 

[jutfrank]

It's clear enough, but I doubt it will catch on because the words in air quotes could be anywhere.

Which words are in air quotes would be obvious from either the pronunciation in speaking, or from the punctuation in writing.