The phrase “to skate on thin ice” means: To approach or treat a delicate subject without causing offense; to risk imprudence or indelicacy in language.
We have skated over thin ice several times in our attempt to explain one or another irreligious or indecent expression tactfully, without giving occasion to any reader to drop us in the fire.
The allusion is to the sport indulged in by daredevil boys and venturesome young men, in winter, in skating rapidly over newly formed ice on lakes or streams, ice so thin that it would not bear his weight if the skater stopped or slowed down; hence, the risk of being plunged into icy water.
In our own youth, as in that of our sons in New England, the sport was called “tickledy-bendo,” partly from the bending ice as the skater skimmed its surface.
The expression also is used to mean to undertake a venturesome enterprise, especially one relying upon consummate skill or great luck.
Related Posts
-
Why Is Ice Slippery and How Is the Blade of An Ice Skate Able To Glide On Ice With No Friction?
One simple reason why ice is slippery is that pressure and friction from shoes or skates can melt a very thin layer at the top of snow or ice. It then forms a…
-
Who Discovered Dry Ice, Where Does Dry Ice Come From, and How Is Dry Ice Made?
At room temperature and pressure, carbon dioxide, or CO2, is a common gas, about 0.05 percent of the air at sea level by weight. It is also a product of combustion and the…
-
Why Is Glacier Ice Purer Than Regular Ice and How Is Glacier Ice Formed Without Impurities?
Yes, glacier ice purer than regular ice, and it is not surprising that some entrepreneurs have marketed it commercially for drinks. There are several scientific and aesthetic reasons for the superiority of glacier…
-
Where does the expression “through thick and thin” come from and What does it mean?
The phrase "through thick and thin" means through evil times and good; through foul weather and fair; steadfastly. The expression may be traced back to "Chauncer's The Reeves Tale" where, in the escapade…
-
Can You Ever Skate on Water?
Amazingly enough, whenever you ice skate, you are doing precisely that, skating on water. Here's how it happens. When the blade of your ice skate touches the ice, it actually is putting the…
-
Is it True that some Scallops sold in fish markets are made from Skate Wings?
We can't say that it's never been done, but we doubt that it has been done very often. And surely few of us would continue to patronize a fishmonger or restaurateur who had…
