walk on eggshells

English

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

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Audio (AU): (file)

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.

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)
Catalan: please add this translation if you can
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
German: sich auf Eierschalen bewegen
(deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
Hindi: please add this translation if you can
Italian: camminare sulle uova, andare con i 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)
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: please add this translation if you can
(deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
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: please add this translation if you can
Portuguese: pisar em ovos (pt)
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