[one’s] cup of tea See PREFERENCE.

handwriting on the wall See OMEN.

have [someone’s] number on it To be the instrument of one’s fate, usually the agent which causes someone’s death. Apparently this expression originated from a superstition that one need not fear any bullet unless it has one’s number ‘code by which one may be identified’ on it.

Currently the expression is also heard in broader contexts where the stakes are not always as high as life and death.

in the cards Likely to happen; probable; a sure bet, foreordained; sometimes on the cards. The phrase derives from either cartomancy or card playing. The earliest citations are from the beginning of the 19th century.

in the wind Imminent, about to happen; astir, afoot. Dating from the 16th century, this expression may have originally referred to something nearby which can be perceived by means of the wind carrying its scent.

However, in the wind refers more often to time than to physical distance.

kiss of death A relationship or action, often appearing good and well-meaning, which in reality is destructive or fatal; the instrument of one’s downfall or ruination. This expression is a derivative of the earlier phrase Judas kiss, the kiss Judas Iscariot gave Jesus in betraying Him to the authorities in the Garden of Gethsemane and which ultimately led to His death by crucifixion. It has been in use since at least 1948.

See Judas kiss, BETRAYAL.

that’s the way the ball bounces See RESIGNATION.