walk on eggshells
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.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I feel like I am walking on eggshells around him.”
“She walks on eggshells whenever her sensitive roommate is at home.”
“Because my boss is in a bad mood today, everyone in the office is walking on eggshells.”
“You have to walk on eggshells when discussing the budget because the director hates any mention of overspending.”
“After the two neighbors had a loud argument, the rest of the family walked on eggshells during the entire dinner party.”
“Living with a partner whose temper is so unpredictable forces you to walk on eggshells constantly, leaving you exhausted by the effort of avoiding conflict.”
disputed origin
Attested from the 1800s, the phrase is likely a reference to the physical fragility of eggshells, which shatter when subjected to the weight of a step. It is an image of forced delicacy. The origin is generally attributed to this visual metaphor for cautious movement, rather than a specific historical incident or recorded anecdote.
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ball and Chalk
[Cockney slang]walk
- 02
cake walk
Something extremely easy.
- 03
cock of the walk
A proud or conceited person.
- 04
crawl before one walks
To learn the basics before doing something at a more advanced level.
- 05
in a walk
Easily; without difficulty.
- 06
learn to walk before one can run
Before one can perform a complicated task, one has to learn how to perform more simple tasks.
- 07
perp walk
The intentional public display before news cameras of a person in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of satisfying public interest, demonstrating the effectiveness of the authorities, or shaming the person.
- 08
take a long walk on a short pier
Used to tell someone to go away, or that their request will not be met.
Last updated August 10, 2026