sign of the times

English

Etymology

From Matthew 16:3.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Noun

sign of the times (plural signs of the times)

1. (idiomatic) Something that is symbolic of an era.
   • 1903, Henry Stephen Clubb, Thirty-nine reasons why I am a vegetarian‎^[1]:

     Advertisements of health foods now occupy spaces formerly monopolized by quack medicines, a most healthful sign of the times.

   • 2014 July 25, Paul Rees, “‘We got off the coach and the National Front was there … People spat at us’”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     We [the black players]’d get off the coach at away matches and the National Front would be right there in your face. In those days, we didn’t have security and we’d have to run the gauntlet. We’d get to the players’ entrance and there’d be spit on my jacket or Cyrille’s shirt. It was a sign of the times.

Translations

symbol of an era

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 時代的標誌／时代的标志 (shídài de biāozhì)

• Finnish: ajan merkki
• German: Zeitzeichen n, Zeichen der Zeit f pl
• Polish: znak czasów m
• Portuguese: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: приме́та вре́мени f (priméta vrémeni)
• Spanish: signo de los tiempos m
• Swedish: tidstecken n

See also

• zeitgeist