handwriting on the wall
Unmistakable warning sign
A warning sign of impending doom or misfortune, from the biblical story in which mysterious writing appeared on a wall during Belshazzar's feast, foretelling his kingdom's fall.
The phrase suggests that disaster is coming and the signs are visible to those paying attention: The handwriting was on the wall for the company months before the layoffs.
Also writing on the wall.
- DanielHebrew prophet's name
- Book of DanielProphetic Hebrew scripture
- BelshazzarDoomed Babylonian monarch
- warningAlert about danger
- fair warningReasonable advance notice
inevitability · portent · doom · foreboding · divine judgment · Babylon · omen · fate · destiny · apocalyptic vision · biblical prophecy · symbolic imagery · Nebuchadnezzar · Jewish tradition · Babylonian exile · divine intervention · divine revelation · Midrash
- Exile BooksDaniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Book of Daniel, Babylonian exile
- doomdoomsday, impending doom, doom and gloom, doomed, sense of doom
handwriting on the wallout of nowhere
Without apparent origin
bolt from the blue · out of the blue · blindsided · caught off guard · without warning
handwriting on the walllight at the end of the tunnel
Indication difficulties will end
ray of hope · silver lining · good omen · green shoots · turning the corner
handwriting on the wallmixed signals
Contradictory indications from someone
anyone's guess · up in the air · too close to call · unpredictable
handed, handing, handedness, write, writes, written, writing, writer, writers