handwriting on the wall

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handwriting on the wall

, writing on the wall - Handwriting on the wall (or writing on the wall) comes from the Bible (Daniel 5:5-31), in which the prophet interprets some mysterious writing that a disembodied hand has inscribed on the palace wall, telling King Belshazzar that he will be overthrown.

See also related terms for mysterious.

References in periodicals archive ?

Felix's parents, proprietors of a bookshop, having seen the dreadful Nazi handwriting on the wall, place their son in a Roman Catholic orphanage to protect him.

Once

As a 34-year-old businessman, I see the handwriting on the wall. My generation is a fraction of the size of the baby boomers, and we are all living longer.

Social Security: do the math

The "Handwriting on the Wall" says: "Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old."