the.com/wading
Walking where you shouldn't, through a medium that disagrees with the concept of legs.
means Moving slowly through water, mud, or anything thick enough to fight back against your stride.
from From Old English wadan, to go or advance, related to Latin vadere, to walk or rush — the same root that wades into invade.
Metaphor senseWading through paperwork predates the wetland version culturally.
BirdsWaders are long-legged shorebirds built for shallows.
PhysicsWater resistance rises sharply, so wading torches energy fast.