What Does Kid Gloves Mean?

The literal meaning of Kid gloves is gloves made out of soft fine leather generally the skin of kids- that is the skin of young goats. However there is an idiom called 'handle with kid gloves'. It means to deal with tactfully or artfully. It alludes to the diplomatic handling of a certain situation which calls for great care. For instance 'The volatile situation in the workplace required to be handled with kid gloves' or 'A man of his temperament and genius is to be dealt with kid gloves'. Its synonyms include prudence, caution, carefully etc.

A kid is the young one of a goat. Kidskin is the leather that is made from the hide of a young goat. It is popular and rather expensive. The use of this kind of leather along with other kinds of leather has evoked much controversy and many animal rights activists have protested regarding the same.

Usually means handling whatever very carefully