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Bvpraveen Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary

Examples : ...writing on the wall...

I found the meaning for the idiom - "Writing on the wall" from Cambridge online dic.

Definition
the writing is on the wall (US ALSO the handwriting is on the wall)
said to mean that there are clear signs that something will fail or no longer exist
Can you give me some examples which employs this idiom?


I will try my examples :

1) Most of the ancient wonders of the world are written on the wall (to mean that they don't exist : Stupid example!, isn't it?).

2) Don't try this, you will land up writing on the wall ( Sounds better!)
  

Top answer

Hello BV Unfortunately you can't use it like that. It's an allusion to the story of Belshazzar, in the Book of Daniel (Old Testament) – here drastically edited down: Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords [and] commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.... They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone...

— MrPedantic

  • Hello BV Unfortunately you can't use it like that.
  • It's an allusion to the story of Belshazzar, in the Book of Daniel (Old Testament) – here drastically edited down: Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords [and] commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein....
  • They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone...
  • In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote...
  • Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him...
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4 Answers
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Hello BV

Unfortunately you can't use it like that.

It's an allusion to the story of Belshazzar, in the Book of Daniel (Old Testament) – here drastically edited down:

Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords [and] commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jeru
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It's remarkable, MrP.

I would be glad if you give me some more examples. (Even one or two line sentences are welcomed!)

Thank you.
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"The writing has been on the wall for some time for the Rover car manufacturers, and finally on Friday the Company collapsed"

It had been obvious for some time that things were going badly at Rover, and the company has finally gone bankrupt.

"Shrewd suppliers saw the writing on the wall, and diversified their interests."

Knowledgeable suppliers realised that the comp
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Remarkable examples.

Thanks Abbie.
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