skate on thin ice
To be (or to place oneself) in a risky, potentially dangerous or delicate situation.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You are skating on thin ice by arriving late again.”
“If you keep arguing with your boss about such small details, you are skating on thin ice.”
“By ignoring the safety warnings and proceeding with the merger, the board of directors was effectively skating on thin ice.”
- 01
break the ice
To start to get to know people to avoid social awkwardness and formality.
- 02
get one's skates on
To start doing something quickly; to stop procrastinating; to hurry up.
- 03
have a thin time of it
To be in a difficult or precarious situation due to one not having enough money.
- 04
ice cool
calm and composed in a difficult situation.
- 05
ice maiden
An ice queen; a beautiful but heartless woman.
- 06
ice queen
A beautiful but heartless woman.
- 07
keep one's stick on the ice
To remain vigilant and ready for action.
- 08
keep someone on ice
To keep someone uninformed and waiting for a response.
Last updated August 10, 2026