on thin ice

English

Etymology

Suggesting a person skating or walking on a frozen-over body of water, at risk of breaking through and falling into the water.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Prepositional phrase

on thin ice

1. (idiomatic) In a dangerous, hazardous, or delicate situation; at risk.

   Ever since he was caught stealing office supplies, he has been on thin ice with his boss.

Adverb

on thin ice (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Dangerously, hazardously, delicately.

Translations

at risk

• Catalan: en situaciò perillosa (literally “in a dangerous situation”)
• Finnish: heikolla jäällä
• French: sur la corde raide (literally “on the tightrope”)
• German: auf dünnem Eis (de)
• Indonesian: abu di atas tanggul
• Italian: sul filo del rasoio (literally “on the wire from the razor”)
• Latin: in periculō (literally “in danger”)
• Polish: stąpać po cienkim lodzie (pl) impf
• Portuguese: em situação delicada (literally “in a delicate situation”), em situação difícil (literally “in a difficult situation”)
• Romanian: pe muchie de cuțit (literally “on a knife's edge”)
• Serbo-Croatian: на танком леду (na tankom ledu)
• Spanish: a riesgo, en la cuerda floja (literally “on the loose/weak cord/rope/string”) (often used in estar en la cuerda floja")
• Swedish: på tunn is

See also

• skate on thin ice