01-07-2016, 02:14 PM
Using a cliche isn't necessarily so bad. It's not about being completely original, it's about choosing a metaphor which accurately and completely describes the point you wish to make. Thin ice usually suggest that you are aware it is fragile, which you make a point of with the words "tiptoe forward." On the subject, I think "span that ice" is just as good "span the ice." The choice should reflect your purpose. If I were to think a bit too closely on it, "the ice" does not have location, allowing for a little ambiguity about what the ice is. (Ambiguity is also not bad, it encourages the reader to ask questions). "That ice" does have a location, which suggest that the ice is definitively representative of something specific to the speaker. Just some thing to consider when choosing.