1 hr confidence:   peer agreement (net): +1 | the sword of damocles to cast a dark shadow / dark clouds are gathering / living on the edge
Explanation:
sure it depends on the context, but in the domain of falling swords, you could play with dark shadows or dark clouds that fill the clear blue sky, blacken our perception, and generally promise disaster.
For further inspiration, I refer to Aerosmith's song "Living on the Edge", which may serve as a suitable expression for an impending threat, standing on the edge of a cliff and possibly falling down:
There's somethin' wrong with the world today
I don't know what it is
Something's wrong with our eyes
We're seeing things in a different way
And God knows it ain't His
It sure ain't no surprise
We're livin' on the edge
We're livin' on the edge
We're livin' on the edge
We're livin' on the edge
There's somethin' wrong with the world today
The light bulb's gettin' dim
There's meltdown in the sky
If you can judge a wise man
By the color of his skin
Then mister you're a better man that I
We're livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' on the edge
You can't stop yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
Tell me what you think about your sit-u-a-tion
Complication - aggravation
Is getting to you
If chicken little tells you that the sky is fallin'
Even if it wasn't would you still come crawlin'
Back again?
I bet you would my friend
Again & again & again & again & again
(solo)
Tell me what you think about your sit-u-a-tion
Complication - aggravation
Is getting to you
If chicken little tells you that the sky is fallin'
Even if it was would would you still come crawlin'
Back again?
I bet you would my friend
Again & again & again & again
There's something right with the world today
And everybody knows it's wrong
But we can tell 'em no or we could let it go
But I would rather be a hanging on
Livin' On the Edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' On the Edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' On the Edge
You can't stop yourself from fallin'
Livin' On the Edge
Livin' On the Edge
Livin' On the Edge
Livin' On the Edge
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Livin' On the Edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' On the Edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' on the edge
You can't stop yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself
You can't help yourself
Livin' On the Edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' On the Edge
You can't help yourself
You can't help yourself
Livin' On the Edge
You can't help yourself
You can't help yourself
Livin' On the Edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' On the Edge
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, you got to that now
| Max Nuijens
Netherlands
Local time: 02:27
Native speaker of:  Dutch
|
| |
| | Login to enter a peer comment (or grade) |
2 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +1 Comments - not for points
Explanation:
For the record, here is the story of Damocles (below). The interesting point is that this is subjective. Dionysius either does not see this sword hanging over his head (and therefore suffer from a sense of foreboding) or he does see it and it does not bother him.
Dionysius does not behave recklessly, he is not "riding for a fall", quite the opposite - he is very careful to make sure that this sword or impending threat does not overpower him.
Dionysius was a fourth century B.C. tyrant of Syracuse, a city in Magna Graecia, the Greek area of southern Italy. To all appearances Dionysius was very rich and comfortable, with all the luxuries money could buy, tasteful clothing and jewelry, and delectable food. He even had court flatterers (adsentatores) to inflate his ego. One of these ingratiators was the court sycophant, Damocles. Damocles used to make comments to the king about his wealth and luxurious life. One day when Damocles complimented the tyrant on his abundance and power, Dionysius turned to Damocles and said, "If you think I'm so lucky, how would you like to try out my life?"
Damocles readily agreed, and so Dionysius ordered everything to be prepared for Damocles to experience what life as Dionysius was like. Damocles was enjoying himself immensely... until he noticed a sharp sword hovering over his head, that was suspended from the ceiling by a horse hair. This, the tyrant explained to Damocles, was what life as ruler was really like.
Damocles, alarmed, quickly revised his idea of what made up a good life, and asked to be excused. He then eagerly returned to his poorer, but safer life.
Another suggestion. This would be when someone is behaving recklessly, and therefore is likely to fall from their horse.
The interesting question
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2008-07-10 09:55:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Sorry, the last three lines should be deleted.
| Mark Nathan
France
Local time: 02:27
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 28
|
| |
| | Login to enter a peer comment (or grade) |
8 hrs confidence: | the sword of damocles a ticking time bomb
Explanation:
as if the disease within the person is a time bomb waiting until the time that it will cause his demise.
| Heather Shaw
United States
Local time: 03:27
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
|
| | | Login to enter a peer comment (or grade) |
8 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +1 | the sword of damocles living with a dark cloud over his head
Language variant: US English
Explanation:
Meaning that you are doomed and the sunlight doesn't shine for you.
Others:
(Living) on pins and needles:
Anxious or nervous, especially in anticipation of something.
Behind the eight ball:
A difficult position from which it is unlikely one can escape.
Example sentence(s):- He lives with a dark cloud over his head.
- He is walking on pins and needles! That guy is really behind the eight ball!
Reference: http://www.idiomsite.com/
Reference: http://http:/www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/b.html
| Demi Ebrite
United States
Local time: 19:27
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
|
| | |
| | Login to enter a peer comment (or grade) |
Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.
You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs
(or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.
KudoZ™ translation help
The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.
See also: Search millions of term translations
You can request verification for native languages by completing a simple application that takes only a couple of minutes.
Review native language verification applications submitted by your peers. Reviewing applications can be fun and only takes a few minutes.
View applications
|
