All phrases › the writing is on the wall
What does “the writing is on the wall” mean?
Meaning, example sentence and a quick practice question.
C1
There are clear signs that something, usually bad, is going to happen
“When sales started dropping, the writing was on the wall.”
From the C1 lesson What's Next? (the future).
Quick check
What does “the writing is on the wall” mean?
Teaching this phrase?“the writing is on the wall” is part of a ready-to-teach lesson, with a reading, three exercises, speaking tasks and an answer key, in Everyday English Chunks C1 Pack 4 (Communication, Decisions and Habits).
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Related phrases
- it's only a matter of timeused to say something is certain to happen eventually, even if you don't know exactly when
- on the cardslikely to happen; being considered as a possibility
- before longsoon; within a short time
- as things standbased on the current situation, which might change
- a leap into the unknowna decision or action whose outcome you can't predict, often risky
- brace yourself for somethingto prepare yourself mentally for something difficult or unpleasant
- what the future holdswhat will happen in the future, often used when this is uncertain
- sooner rather than latervery soon, without unnecessary delay
- time will tellthe truth or result of something will only become clear in the future