Από εδώ:
Meaning
Disaster or danger is imminent.
Origin
From the Bible, Daniel 5:5/6 (King James Version):
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. [Στους Ο΄: έγραψαν επί του τοίχου]
Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
The expression began to be used figuratively, i.e. foretelling of danger where no actual writing or wall are involved, from the early 18th century. For example, Jonathan Swift's Miscellaneous works, 1720:
Από Longman:
the writing is on the wall
(also see/read the writing on the wall) used to say that it seems very likely that something will not exist much longer or someone will fail: The writing is on the wall for old manufacturing industries.
Από Macmillan:
used for saying that it seems likely that something will soon go wrong or stop existing: Is the writing on the wall for tobacco advertising?
Meaning
Disaster or danger is imminent.
Origin
From the Bible, Daniel 5:5/6 (King James Version):
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. [Στους Ο΄: έγραψαν επί του τοίχου]
Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
The expression began to be used figuratively, i.e. foretelling of danger where no actual writing or wall are involved, from the early 18th century. For example, Jonathan Swift's Miscellaneous works, 1720:
A baited Banker thus desponds,
From his own Hand foresees his Fall;
They have his Soul who have his Bonds;
'Tis like the Writing on the Wall.
From his own Hand foresees his Fall;
They have his Soul who have his Bonds;
'Tis like the Writing on the Wall.
Από Longman:
the writing is on the wall
(also see/read the writing on the wall) used to say that it seems very likely that something will not exist much longer or someone will fail: The writing is on the wall for old manufacturing industries.
Από Macmillan:
used for saying that it seems likely that something will soon go wrong or stop existing: Is the writing on the wall for tobacco advertising?