walk on eggshells

English

Etymology

1800s usage, probably from the imagery that eggshells are easily broken when stepped upon.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌwɔːk ɒn ˈɛɡʃɛlz/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˌwɔk ɑn ˈɛɡʃɛlz/, /ˌwɑk-/, /-ɔn-/
Audio (AU) (file)

Verb

walk on eggshells (third-person singular simple present walks on eggshells, present participle walking on eggshells, simple past and past participle walked on eggshells)

(idiomatic) To be overly careful in dealing with a person or situation because they get angry or offended very easily; to try very hard not to upset someone or something.
(idiomatic) To be careful and sensitive, in handling very sensitive matters.

Translations

to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone

Arabic: please add this translation if you can
Armenian: վարվել շրջահայաց կերպով (varvel šrǰahayacʻ kerpov), գործել մեծագույն զգուշությամբ (gorcel mecaguyn zgušutʻyamb)
Bulgarian: действам внимателно (dejstvam vnimatelno)
Catalan: anar amb peus de plom
Chinese:
Mandarin: 伴君如伴虎 (bàn jūn rú bàn hǔ) (for superiors only), 謹慎行事, 谨慎行事 (jǐnshèn xíngshì)
Czech: please add this translation if you can
Danish: gå på æggeskaller
Dutch: op eieren lopen
Finnish: pitää kuin kukkaa kämmenellä
French: marcher sur des œufs (fr), prendre des pincettes
Galician: ir cos pés de la
German: einen Eiertanz vollführen (idiom)
Hebrew: ללכת על ביצים
Hindi: please add this translation if you can
Italian: camminare sulle uova, andare coi piedi di piombo
Japanese: please add this translation if you can
Korean: please add this translation if you can
Polish: obchodzić się jak z jajkiem (pl)
Portuguese: pisar em ovos (pt) (Brazil)
Russian: ходи́ть на цы́почках (ru) (xodítʹ na cýpočkax), ходи́ть на цы́рлах (xodítʹ na cýrlax), ходи́ть по яи́чной скорлупе́ (xodítʹ po jaíčnoj skorlupé), ходи́ть по я́йцам (xodítʹ po jájcam)
Serbo-Croatian: ходати по јајима
Ukrainian: носитися, як курка з яйцем (nosytysja, jak kurka z jajcem), бігати, як курка з яйцем (bihaty, jak kurka z jajcem)
Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

to handle sensitive matters delicately

Arabic: please add this translation if you can
Armenian: լինել նուրբ նկատառում պահանջող դրության մեջ (linel nurb nkataṙum pahanǰoġ drutʻyan meǰ)
Catalan: anar amb peus de plom
Chinese:
Mandarin: 如履薄冰 (rú lǚ bó bīng)
Czech: please add this translation if you can
Dutch: op eieren lopen
Finnish: käsitellä silkkihansikkain
French: prendre des pincettes, prendre des gants (fr), mettre des gants (fr)
German: wie ein rohes Ei behandeln (idiom)
Hindi: please add this translation if you can
Italian: please add this translation if you can
Japanese: please add this translation if you can
Korean: please add this translation if you can
Polish: obchodzić się jak z jajkiem (pl)
Portuguese: pisar em ovos (pt) (Brazil)
Russian: ходи́ть на цы́почках (ru) (xodítʹ na cýpočkax), ходи́ть по я́йцам (xodítʹ po jájcam)
Serbo-Croatian: ходати по јајима
Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

References

“walk on eggshells”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

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