Word Spy - aireoke

aireoke (air.ee.OH.kee) n. Playing air guitar and singing to prerecorded music; playing air guitar in a public performance. Also: air-eoke. [Blend of air guitar and karaoke.]

Example Citations:

There is no air guitar school (though there is an annual training camp prior to the world championship in Finland) and no secret formula, but I have established a monthly Aireoke night (see aireoke.com for details), which recently moved to Trash Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Think of it as a farm system for the major leagues.
—Dan Crane, "Play That Funky ... Oh, Never Mind," The New York Times, July 10, 2005

In recent years, the air guitar has become a cult phenomenon, sparking air-eoke tournaments in cities across the nation.
—Christina Couch, "Why 'air guitar' is the new karaoke," The Christian Science Monitor, June 30, 2006

Earliest Citation:

This just in: Tempest nightclub in WeHo just added Aireoke to its Monday night menu. That's right, you play air guitar while singing karaoke (in other words, Air Guitar + Karaoke = Aireoke).
—Heidi Siegmund Cuda, "Buzz Clubs," Los Angeles Times, May 13, 2004

Notes:

Aireoke™ is a trademark held by Dan Crane, the author of the New York Times citation. The addition of the first "e" in aireoke might seem puzzling — shouldn't it be airaoke? — but it's there because a fair number (although, to be sure, still a tiny percentage) of people use kareoke instead of karaoke.

Related Words:

dashboard drum
movieoke

Subject Category:

Culture - Music

Posted on July 7, 2006 at 5:37 AM