canary in a coal mine
Early danger indicator
A canary in a coal mine is an early warning sign of danger or trouble.
Coal miners once brought canaries underground because the birds would die from toxic gases before humans noticed them, signaling miners to evacuate.
The phrase now describes any indicator that reveals problems before they become obvious: The housing market collapse was a canary in a coal mine for the broader recession.
Sign revealing status
- alarmUrgent warning signal
- signalMessage-conveying cue
- alertWarning or watchfulness
- red flagIndicator of danger
harbinger · bellwether · sentinel · early warning · detector · forewarning · caution · advisory
Combustible sedimentary rock
- minerOne who excavates ore
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- shaftNarrow vertical passage
- methaneSimplest alkane fuel
gas · ventilation · tunnel · pit · headlamp · cage · colliery · lamp
Capable of causing harm
- poisonHarmful ingested substance
- dangerExposure to harm
- fumesAirborne chemical irritants
- lethalCausing or capable of death
exposure · suffocation · asphyxiation · carbon monoxide · oxygen · detection · monitoring · contamination
Able to be sacrificed
- victimOne harmed by another
- scapegoatUnfairly blamed person
- martyrdomSuffering for conviction
- costRequired payment amount
collateral · unwitting · innocent · proxy · stand-in · test subject · frontline
Ease of breaking
- sensitivityResponsiveness to stimuli
- susceptibilityLiability to influence
- delicacyRefined sensitivity or rarity
- defenselessnessState of being unprotected
weakness · small · helplessness · endangered · at-risk · exposed · unprotected · disposable
indicator
Sign revealing status
red flag · harbinger · bellwether · sentinel · early warning · detector · forewarning · caution · advisory · notice
coal
Combustible sedimentary rock
- minerOne who excavates ore
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- shaftNarrow vertical passage
methane · gas · ventilation · tunnel · pit · headlamp · cage · colliery · lamp · safety lamp
toxic
Capable of causing harm
lethal · exposure · suffocation · asphyxiation · carbon monoxide · oxygen · detection · monitoring · contamination · harmful
expendable
Able to be sacrificed
cost · collateral · unwitting · innocent · proxy · stand-in · test subject · frontline
fragility
Ease of breaking
- sensitivityResponsiveness to stimuli
- susceptibilityLiability to influence
- delicacyRefined sensitivity or rarity
defenselessness · weakness · small · helplessness · endangered · at-risk · exposed · unprotected · disposable
canary in a coal minefalse alarm
Erroneous warning signal
hindsight · postmortem · cry wolf · too little too late · after the fact
canary in a coal minehead in the sand
Deliberate avoidance of reality
willful blindness · blissful ignorance · asleep at the wheel · turning a blind eye · complacency