Etymology Journal · Y
You're on thin ice, buster
Meaning
- A warning that your current behavior is dangerous and likely to result in severe consequences if continued. It implies that you are one mistake away from a total social or professional breakdown.
Warning, stern
Used in a sentence
- If you show up late to this meeting again you are on thin ice, buster.
- You already broke one vase today so you are on thin ice, buster.
- I told the dog he was on thin ice, buster, after he tried to eat the thanksgiving turkey.
The backstory
This is a literal metaphor based on the danger of walking on frozen lakes that are starting to melt. It became a staple of American dad speak by the mid 1900s.
Heard in
Nationwide
Vibe check