ESL Expression of the day

"to see the writing on the wall"

or

"to see the handwriting on the wall"

means

"to know that you are finished".

This expression comes from an old Bible story:

The king in a city was evil. One day he saw some writing on a wall that said

"MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN"

but no one knew what it meant. Finally he asked the prophet Daniel, who told him

"It means that you are evil and you will die". Soon after, it came true.

So the expression is used today like this:

Sarah Palin resigned because she saw the writing on the wall.

This means that she quit because she knew that her career as governor was finished.