phrase
The Writing on the Wall
An unmistakable warning of impending disaster.
Origin
In the Book of Daniel, King Belshazzar of Babylon throws a lavish feast using sacred temple vessels. A disembodied hand appears and writes on the wall. Daniel interprets the message: the kingdom has been weighed, found wanting, and will fall. That night, the king is killed.
Modern usage
Said of any clear sign of coming failure that everyone can see โ usually except the person it's about.
In the wild
When the lead engineer quit, the writing was on the wall.โ common usage
Tags
warning
decline