You use touch-and-go about a situation that could still go badly wrong — it is not decided yet, and the bad ending is a real possibility.

You你 about a situation that could still go badly wrong講一個還可能出大事的情況時 use touch-and-go會用 touch-and-go——it is not decided yet事情還沒定，and而 the bad ending壞結局 is a real possibility是真實存在的可能。

It is almost always used with 'it was' or 'things were': 'It was touch-and-go for a while.' Notice the past tense. That is the most honest thing about this word: people mostly say it AFTER the danger has passed, looking back on it. A doctor tells the family afterwards, 'It was touch-and-go last night, but she's stable now.' So the word carries relief inside it as often as fear.

It它 almost always幾乎都 with 'it was' or 'things were'跟 'it was' 或 'things were' is used連用：'It was touch-and-go for a while.'有一陣子情況很危急。Notice注意 the past tense那個過去式。That那 is是 about this word這個詞 the most honest thing最誠實的地方：people人們 mostly多半 AFTER the danger has passed在危險過去「之後」 say it才說它，looking back on it回頭看的時候。A doctor醫生 afterwards事後 tells the family對家屬說：'It was touch-and-go last night, but she's stable now.'昨晚一度很危險，但她現在穩定了。So所以 the word這個詞 inside it裡面 carries裝著的 relief鬆一口氣，as often as fear和恐懼一樣多。

It is common about someone very ill, about a business that nearly closed, about a plane in bad weather, about a match either side could have won. It is a spoken, everyday phrase — not formal, not slang. You will hear it from a nurse, a coach, a boss.

It它 is common常用來講 about someone very ill病得很重的人、about a business that nearly closed差點倒掉的生意、about a plane in bad weather壞天氣裡的飛機、about a match either side could have won兩邊都可能贏的比賽。It它是 a spoken, everyday phrase口語的日常片語——not formal不正式，not slang也不算俚語。You你 from a nurse, a coach, a boss會從護理師、教練、老闆口中 will hear it聽到它。

One more thing: the phrase does not point at one moment of danger so much as at a stretch of time when nobody knew. That uncertainty, that not-knowing-yet, is really what it names.

One more thing還有一件事：the phrase這個片語 does not point at指的與其說是 one moment of danger危險的某一刻，so much as不如說是 a stretch of time一段時間，when nobody knew那段沒有人知道結果的時間。That uncertainty那種不確定，that not-knowing-yet那種還不知道，is really才真正是 what it names它所命名的東西。

When you write it as a modifier before a noun it keeps the hyphens — 'a touch-and-go operation' — and after 'was' many people write it without them: 'it was touch and go'. Both are fine.

When you write it當你把它 as a modifier before a noun當名詞前的修飾語來寫時，it keeps the hyphens它保留連字號——'a touch-and-go operation'一場凶險難料的手術——and而 after 'was'在 'was' 後面，many people很多人 without them不加連字號 write it就直接寫：'it was touch and go'。Both兩種 are fine都可以。