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a person at his court he didn’t like. Considered sacred, the elephant couldn’t be made to do any work, and cost a fortune to feed and tend. Being unable to get rid of the king’s gift, the unfortunate man grew poor in a short time. That’s probably what the king intended. The expression was first used in English in the late1800s. writing on the wall грозный знак; зловещее предостережение; дурное предзнаменование M E A N I N G : a hint, sign or portent of impending disaster or danger The “V for Victory” sign which was being chalked up in occupied countries all over Europe was seen by the Germans and the Quislings indeed as the writing on the wall. ORIGIN: The idea – though not the precise phrase – comes from the Bible (Daniel, 5:30) where King Belshazzar, the night before his death, is informed of the forthcoming destruction of the Babylonian Empire through the appearance of a man’s hand writing on a wall. 144