walk on eggshells

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• Received-Pronunciation: /ˌwɔːk ɒn ˈɛɡʃɛlz/
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• General-American: /ˌwɔk ɑn ˈɛɡʃɛlz/
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• General-American: /ˌwɑk-/
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• General-American: /-ɔn-/
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• Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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1800s usage, probably from the imagery that eggshells are easily broken when stepped upon.

44 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Armenian: վարվել շրջահայաց կերպով (varvel šrǰahayacʻ kerpov) — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Armenian: գործել մեծագույն զգուշությամբ (gorcel mecaguyn zgušutʻyamb) — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Bulgarian: действам внимателно (dejstvam vnimatelno) — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Catalan: anar amb peus de plom — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Chinese Mandarin: 伴君如伴虎 (bàn jūn rú bàn hǔ) — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Chinese Mandarin: 謹慎行事 — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Chinese Mandarin: 谨慎行事 (jǐnshèn xíngshì) — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Danish: gå på æggeskaller — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Dutch: op eieren lopen — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Finnish: pitää kuin kukkaa kämmenellä — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• French: marcher sur des œufs — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• French: prendre des pincettes — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Galician: ir cos pés de la — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• German: einen Eiertanz vollführen — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Hebrew: הלך על ביצים — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Italian: camminare sulle uova — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Italian: andare coi piedi di piombo — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Polish: obchodzić się jak z jajkiem — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Portuguese: pisar em ovos — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Russian: ходи́ть на цы́почках (xodítʹ na cýpočkax) — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Russian: ходи́ть на цы́рлах (xodítʹ na cýrlax) — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Russian: ходи́ть по яи́чной скорлупе́ (xodítʹ po jaíčnoj skorlupé) — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Russian: ходи́ть по я́йцам (xodítʹ po jájcam) — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Serbo-Croatian: ходати по јајима — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Spanish: andar entre algodones — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Spanish: proceder entre algodones — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Ukrainian: носитися, як курка з яйцем (nosytysja, jak kurka z jajcem) — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Ukrainian: бігати, як курка з яйцем (bihaty, jak kurka z jajcem) — to act carefully to avoid upsetting someone
• Armenian: լինել նուրբ նկատառում պահանջող դրության մեջ (linel nurb nkataṙum pahanǰoġ drutʻyan meǰ) — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• Catalan: anar amb peus de plom — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• Chinese Mandarin: 如履薄冰 (rú lǚ bó bīng) — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• Dutch: op eieren lopen — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• Finnish: käsitellä silkkihansikkain — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• French: prendre des pincettes — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• French: prendre des gants — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• French: mettre des gants — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• German: wie ein rohes Ei behandeln — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• Polish: obchodzić się jak z jajkiem — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• Portuguese: pisar em ovos — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• Russian: ходи́ть на цы́почках (xodítʹ na cýpočkax) — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• Russian: ходи́ть по я́йцам (xodítʹ po jájcam) — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• Serbo-Croatian: ходати по јајима — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• Spanish: andar entre algodones — to handle sensitive matters delicately
• Spanish: proceder entre algodones — to handle sensitive matters delicately