kid gloves, to handle/treat with
handle someone with kid gloves
Fig. to be very careful with a touchy person. Bill has become so sensitive. You really have to handle him with kid gloves. You don't have to handle me with kid gloves. I can take it.
See also: glove, handle, kid
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
kid gloves, to handle/treat with
To deal with very gently. This term, dating from the nineteenth century, is an elaboration of the slightly earlier term to handle without gloves, meaning to treat harshly. Gloves made of kidskin, from the hide of a young goat, were known from the early eighteenth century on and were considered elegant finery, whence the transfer to delicate treatment.
See also: handle, kid, treat
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- handle (someone or something) with gloves
- handle with gloves
- get a handle on something, to
- handle with kid gloves
- handle, treat, etc. somebody with kid gloves
- handle (someone or something) with kid gloves
- handle someone or something with kid gloves
- a hot potato
- hot potato
- cross (somebody has) to carry