sticky wicket: Meaning and Definition of

stick'y wick'et

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.