Walk on eggshells means to be very careful about what you say or do around someone so you don't upset them. The image is clear: you're walking on eggshells, and any step might crush them. People say it about someone who is easily offended or angered: a boss, a relative, a flatmate.
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walk on eggshells (around + person); feel like walking on eggshells; BrE also tread on eggshells
- After the divorce, Tom was so sensitive that we all walked on eggshells around him.
- I don't want a job where I have to walk on eggshells around my manager.
- Living with a moody flatmate feels like walking on eggshells every day.
What changed
First versionI walked on eggshells past the bedroom so I wouldn't wake the baby.
RevisionI tiptoed past the bedroom so I wouldn't wake the baby.
Walking on eggshells sounds like moving quietly, but the phrase has only the figurative meaning: being careful with a person. To actually walk quietly on the tips of your toes, use the verb tiptoe: I tiptoed past the bedroom.
Be on thin ice means you're at risk because of what you yourself have done: You're on thin ice — one more late arrival and you're fired. Walk on eggshells is the opposite: you're careful because of someone else's temper, and the danger lies in their reaction.
Your turn
Since the argument, we've all been walking on ___ around Mark, afraid to upset him.
Show the answer
eggshells — Everyone is afraid of upsetting Mark, so they're careful because of his mood: walking on eggshells. Thin ice is about being in a risky position yourself, and people don't say walking on thin ice around Mark.
Describe a person you have to be very careful around. Say who it is and what you try not to do.
My aunt gets upset easily, so at family dinners I walk on eggshells and never mention politics.
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