fun with phrases

[Garson O'Toole]

Jonathan Lighter wrote
>
> "to walk a tight-rope"
>
> To balance one's actions or policy delicately (between dangerously
> contending forces or ideas).
>
> OED sort of has this in its cite blocks s.v."tight-rope," but not till the '50s.
>
> 1936 Mark Sullivan in _Oakland Tribune_ (Aug. 21) 29 [NewspArch]:
> Until after the election, the administration policy is to walk a tight
> rope between the contending organizations.

Here is "walking a tight rope" in 1919 with the figurative sense that
you mention.

Cite: 1919, "The Russian Pendulum: Autocracy - Democracy - Bolshivism"
by Arthur Bullard, Page 172, Macmillan Compnany, New York. (Google
Books full view)
http://books.google.com/books?id=1RIEAAAAYAAJ&q=%22tight+rope%22#v=snippet&

If he definitely committed himself to the Left, there would be danger
of a new "Cossack Conspiracy." He has successfully performed the
difficult feat of walking a tight rope. Up to the present he has kept
the two very jealous factions from fighting. How long he can continue
to avoid taking sides is, of course uncertain.

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