sticky wicket
noun
Cricket.
the area of ground around a wicket when it is tacky because of recent rain and therefore does not allow the ball to bounce well.
Chiefly British.
a situation requiring delicate treatment; an awkward situation: In telling his wife that he has to be away for a month in Cannes, he'll be batting on a sticky wicket.
Origin of sticky wicket
First recorded in 1925–30
Words nearby sticky wicket
sticky bun,
sticky end,
sticky fingers,
sticky note,
sticky rice,
sticky wicket,
sticky willie,
sticky-fingered,
stickybeak,
stiction,
stiegel
British Dictionary definitions for sticky wicket
sticky wicket
noun
a cricket pitch that is rapidly being dried by the sun after rain and is particularly conducive to spin
informal
a difficult or awkward situation (esp in the phrase on a sticky wicket)