Question of the Day #411

"You can’t fix the cause of their suffering, you don’t know how to fix their symptoms and you walk on eggshells, not knowing how to talk to them or if your presence is even wanted. "
From the headline of this article at .

上記の文で、walk on eggshellsの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "walk on eggshells" mean?

答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、


非常に用心して歩く、薄氷を踏む思いをする、慎重に［用心深く］行動する［振る舞う］、細心の注意を払う

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To act with great care and consideration so as not to upset someone.

Etymology/語源

Wiktionary.orgによると、

1800年頃から。おそらく卵の殻は、踏まれるとすぐ割れることから。

According to Wiktionary.org:

1800s usage, probably from the imagery that eggshells are easily broken when stepped upon.

Examples

• The littlest thing tends to anger my mother, so I feel like I have to walk on eggshells whenever I'm at her house.
• Everyone is walking on eggshells at my firm because the owner is visiting our office this week.
• My roommate is so stressed out about her job that I have to walk on egg shells around the house because she’s always trying to work.
• Whenever my mother-in-law visits I'm walking on eggshells in my own home.
• Healthy or sick, good days or bad, I felt I was always walking on eggshells around him.