one's nose is in the air

(one's) nose is (always) in the air

One (always) has a haughty, condescending, or disdainful manner or attitude. No one in the neighborhood cares for the Smiths. It just seems like their noses are always in the air whenever they're socializing with us. You're not going to make many friends at your new school if your nose is in the air like that. A: "Don't invite Joe to lunch unless you want to hear him brag about all the important things he's doing in his new job." B: "Ah, so his nose is in the air, as usual?"

See also: air, nose

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

one's nose is in the air

Fig. one is acting conceited or aloof. Mary's nose is always in the air since she got into that exclusive boarding school. Her mother's nose was always in the air, too.

See also: air, nose

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.