walk on eggshells

walk on eggshells

To act with great care and consideration so as not to upset someone. The littlest thing tends to anger my mother, so I feel like I have to walk on eggshells whenever I'm at her house.
See also: eggshell, on, walk

walk on eggshells

 
1. Fig. to walk very carefully; to take steps gingerly. Since he stumbled and fell against the china cabinet, Bill has been walking on eggshells.
2. Fig. to be very diplomatic and inoffensive. I was walking on eggshells trying to explain the remark to her without offending her further.
See also: eggshell, on, walk

walk on ˈeggshells

be very careful not to upset somebody: I always felt as if I had to walk on eggshells around him so that I wouldn’t hurt his feelings.
See also: eggshell, on, walk
References in periodicals archive ?
When you send your youngster off to college, you might not mind that they will have to walk on eggshells, respect taboos, snitch on fellow students for politically incorrect jokes and learn to use ad hominem arguments as a means to attack ideas they find "disagreeable." If that's your preference, you can choose from a wide variety of America's top-ranked colleges.
Professors Debra Mashek and Jonathan Haidt authored "10 Colleges Where You Won't Have to Walk on Eggshells." Mashek and Haidt are, respectively, faculty members of Harvey Mudd College and New York University.
Other colleges listed in the Mashek and Haidt article, where students won't have to walk on eggshells include Arizona State University, Claremont McKenna College, Kansas State University, Kenyon College, Linn-Benton Community College, St.
Colleges with ideological diversity
We all walk on eggshells. I have a wonderful daughter and son-in-law and when things get really bad I can go round to theirs, see my grandkids and let off steam about my husband.
MY husband took bad depression; YOUR VERDICTS
Secondly, you'll be perceived as someone who "can't handle the truth," around whom everyone else must walk on eggshells. That scenario will quickly get tired and people will soon be leaving you alone.
Too sensitive
Your co-workers dare not debate you, and your friends walk on eggshells so as not to upset you.
Supervise your speech
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