Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. the ‘area’ of a house, adjacent to the basement steps.

1833		Mr Mathews’ Comic Annual 15: He was lying on all fours down the hairy of an house.
1846		Swell’s Night Guide 68: I’ve tumbled on a donna, who has been doing the multa bonna fakement, pallarying the slavies down the haries and she has done stunning, and copped a lummy slum of bonna scran.
1855		J.S. Coyne Pippins and Pies 66: He toll’d me with his own lips — I was the bell of all the aireys — and sich lips as he as Poll! oh my!
1862		H. Kingsley Ravenshoe II 163: Miss Flanagan fell out of winder into the airy, and then they took she to Guy’s hospital.
1866		Wild Boys of London I 234/1: We’ll have a peeler in the aery ready, don’t yer brown?
1870		Leeds Times 7 May 6/5: I’ve dropped a penny down the airy-grating. Please knock and ask for it.
1890		‘Chanticleer’ ‘A Jubilation Dress’ 🎵 But a sweet voice from an airey Shrieked ‘Oh my! what a lark!’.
1908		A.N. Lyons Arthur’s 164: Climbed down nigh every airey we passed; stole the milk-cans, an’ tied ’em up to the knockers.
1923		J. Manchon Le Slang.
1950		C. Harris Three-Ha’Pence to the Angel 56: One, two, three a-lairy, / My ball’s gone down the airy!
1963		R.L. Finn Time Remembered (1985) 69: When a ball went into the area — the ‘airy’ we called it — we had to climb the railings [...] to rescue it.
1999		(con. 1920s) G. O’Neill My East End (2000) 82: We lived in rows of terraced houses with just upstairs and downstairs, and a few basements [airys or areas], wedged close together.

2. attrib. use of sense 1.

1838		Dickens Oliver Twist (1966) 404: The pots I took off airy railings.
1876		M.E. Braddon Dead Men’s Shoes I 290: My missus is out of town, and we don’t want no airy sneaks loafing about while she’s away.
1918		K.F. Purdon Dinny on the Doorstep 27: The young Dorans [...] derived no small enjoyment from watching what was happening within sight of their airy day-nursery.