walking on eggshells

小心翼翼地做事；小心谨慎

In this episode, we are going to talk about the idiomatic expression ‘walking on eggshells’.

First, I should explain that eggshells are the shells of eggs. I am sure we all have seen an egg before. Most of us have probably tried to cook an egg before. If you’ve ever handled eggshells, you’ll know that they are very brittle, meaning they are easily broken. So if you imagine, putting eggshells all over the flour in a room and trying to walk on eggshells, you’ll almost definitely break them. This the visual for this expression. Later, after we see some example, you’ll have a better idea of how this expression is been used in real life. So, the meaning of this expression is to be extra careful around someone, so as not to make them angry or offend them.

Example I

Er…I forgot my girlfriend’s birthday last week. She’s still kind of mad about it. So I’ve been walking on eggshells ever since.

In this example, the bog tells us about how he forgot his girlfriend birthday. He didn’t remember that her birthday was last week. This of course, made her angry. Since she is still angry, he’s been extra careful and not to make her more angry. He is walking around eggshells around her.

Example II

My new boss gets angry very easily, so I always feel like I am walking on eggshells at the office.

In this example, the person tells us about his new boss. This new boss is very quick to get angry. He got a hot temper. So the person says he feels like walking on eggshells at the office.

So, you can use this expression in your life as well. There is someone who is very sensitive in your life, someone who is getting angry very easily, usually over a small thing, not something big or substantial. If you do find a way to use this expression in your life, why don’t you comment down below to practice using this expression.