handle with gloves

Idioms and Phrases

Also, handle with kid gloves . Treat with great or very gently, as in She has a terrible temper, so try to handle her with kid gloves . This usage probably alludes to the antonym, handle without gloves , meaning “to treat harshly.” Gloves made of kidskin, the hide of a young goat, are soft and pliable, whence the transfer to delicate treatment. [Second half of 1800s]