Jen: I heard you were out really late with Tom.
Jason: Yes I was and my wife wasn’t too happy. I was walking on eggshells trying to explain to her why I came home that late.
Jen: Yikes!

제가 Jason에게 “I heard you were out really late with Tom. 너 어젯밤에 톰과 꽤 늦게까지 있었다며?” 라고 하자 Jason 이 “Yes I was and my wife wasn’t too happy. 응, 잘 들어갔는데 너무 늦었다고 집사람이 안 좋아했어. I was walking on eggshells trying to explain to her why I came home that late. 집에 그렇게까지 늦은 이유를 설명하느라 마음이 아주 조마조마했어.”라고 합니다.

Now keep today’s expression ‘walk on eggshells’ in mind and let’s hear the conversation again. 그럼 다시 한번 대화를 들어볼까요?

Jen: I heard you were out really late with Tom.
Jason: Yes I was and my wife wasn’t too happy. I was walking on eggshells trying to explain to her why I came home that late.
Jen: Yikes!

Today’s expression is walk on eggshells. If you walk on eggshells with someone, you are careful not to upset or offend them. ‘Walk on eggshells’ 말 그대로 하면 ‘달걀 껍질 위를 걷는다’ 라는 뜻이죠. 즉 ‘조심조심하다.’ 라는 의미입니다.

달걀 껍질 위를 걷는다고 한번 상상해보세요. 얼마나 긴장되겠어요? 아주 조마조마하겠죠? 이런 상황에서 쓸 수 있는 표현이 바로 ‘walk on eggshells’입니다. 한국말 가운데 ‘살얼음 위를 걷는 것 같은 기분’이라는 표현과 비슷하다고 생각하시면 되겠습니다.

오늘 본문에서 Jason이 아내 눈치를 보느라고 집에 늦게 들어온 이유를 아주 조심스레 설명했죠. 이럴 때 바로 Walk on eggshells를 쓰시는 겁니다.

이제 예문을 통해 어떻게 활용하는지 알아보겠습니다. Veronica is very sensitive right now so you have to walk on eggshells with her.”라고 하면 ‘베로니카가 지금 아주 예민하니까 조심해야 해.”라는 뜻이 됩니다.

또 다른 예를 들어 보겠습니다. “My mom is in a bad mood today, so everyone in our family is walking on eggshells.”라고 하면 “어머니께서 오늘 기분이 안 좋으셔서 온 가족이 조심스럽게 행동하고 있다.” 라는 뜻이 됩니다. Now you know what today’s expression ‘walk on eggshells’ means right? Then we will listen to the conversation for the last time.

Jen: I heard you were out really late with Tom.
Jason: Yes I was and my wife wasn’t too happy. I was walking on eggshells trying to explain to her why I came home that late.
Jen: Yikes!

Let’s review. If you walk on eggshells with someone, you are careful not to upset or offend them. WALK ON EGGSHELLS. Now try using this expression on your own.