What Does Walk On Egghells Mean?
To walk on eggshells means to behave in a very cautious or careful manner to avoid upsetting someone; to be careful what you do or say around someone because they are quite sensitive, easily angered, or offended; to be careful in handling very serious or volatile matters.
If you have to “walk on eggshells” around someone, it may be because they have a chip on their shoulder.
Sentence Examples
“I’m tired of walking on eggshells around here. Can we please just talk about it?”
“After the accident, Simpson spent a week walking on eggshells until his boss convinced him that nobody blamed him.”
“You have to walk on eggshells around this stuff. It’s very sensitive.”
“Everyone is walking on eggshells around David because he’s in such a bad mood. He’s been flying off the handle constantly.”
“Look, I don’t mind if your mom visits but I refuse to walk on eggshells the entire weekend because she disapproves of me.”
“That’s it. Chin up. Shoulders back. That’s my girl. It’s nice to see David so happy. It’s also really nice to come over here and not feel like I’m walking on eggshells.” — Unforgettable (2017)
“…no one in your family believes in you anymore or trusts you. Or they’re scared you’re going to go attempt again. And they’re always worried. Walking on eggshells when they talk to you.” — The Bridge (2007)
“I don’t know what to do, but I ain’t going home. I’s my poor ma I feel sorry for. Twenty years of walking on eggshells living with that asshole.” — The Wanderers (1979)
“Man, I can’t tell you how much I need this. I have been walking on eggshells since Emmy moved into the house.” — Running Wilde (2010)
Video Presentation
Origin Of Walk On Eggshells
The idiom walk on eggshells is a metaphorical allusion to the extreme fragility of an egg. While the “eggshells” version became the standard in the mid-1800s—appearing in Wilkie Collins’s 1860 novel The Woman in White—the concept is much older.
It likely stems from the “Egg Dance,” a traditional game dating back to the 15th century. In this test of agility, performers had to hop and leap around eggs scattered on the floor (sometimes while blindfolded) without breaking any. Early print citations, such as those in the writings of Roger North (1734), used the phrase “treading on eggs” to describe navigating sensitive political or social situations with extreme caution.
Germans use the term Eiertanz (egg-dance) to describe a delicate, complex, or awkward situation.
The “Cakewalk” Contrast
Interestingly, this idiom provides a perfect juxtaposition to the cakewalk. While walking on eggshells describes a difficult task performed with visible anxiety, the cakewalk evolved from a difficult dance competition where the goal was to make complex movements look completely effortless.
Where one suggests a fear of making a mistake, the other suggests a mastery so complete that the “dance” becomes easy.
Related Idioms: Navigating High-Stakes Situations
If you find yourself walking on eggshells, it is usually because you are trying to manage a delicate social or emotional balance. This state of hyper-caution often goes hand-in-hand with several other common expressions:
- Bundle of Nerves: While “walking on eggshells” describes your actions, the internal result is becoming a bundle of nerves. It is the physical feeling of anxiety that comes from having to be so incredibly careful for too long.
- Chip on One’s Shoulder: Often, the reason you are so careful is that you are dealing with someone who has a chip on their shoulder. Because they are looking for a reason to be offended, you are forced into that “egg dance” of constant vigilance.
- Elephant in the Room: You might walk on eggshells to avoid mentioning the elephant in the room—that obvious but awkward problem that everyone is aware of but too uncomfortable to discuss.
- Hot Potato: Sometimes the “eggshells” are actually a hot potato—a controversial or sensitive issue that is being passed around because nobody wants the consequences of handling it directly.