FrenchPrendre des gants
Meaning: To handle a delicate matter with great tact and care to avoid offending someone.
Literally: To take gloves
Example: “Il n'a pas pris de gants pour lui dire que son roman était ennuyeux.” — He didn't mince words when he told her that her novel was boring.
English equivalent: To handle with kid gloves
Equivalents in other languages
English: handle someone with kid gloves
Origin: Gloves let one handle something delicate without damaging it, and they were also part of polite dress. Taking gloves to deal with someone is treating them with tact. The Académie française recorded mettre or prendre des gants in 1932, noting that it was now more common than an older expression with mitaines (mittens). It is mostly used in the negative: il n'a pas pris de gants, he didn't mince his words.
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