In the cards
Meaning
Something that is likely or destined to happen, often due to existing circumstances or predictions.
Origin
Imagine a dimly lit room, the scent of incense lingering, as a fortune-teller meticulously shuffles a deck of playing cards. Each card, when laid out in a specific spread, was believed to reveal glimpses of a person's future – their fate literally 'in the cards.' This age-old practice of divination, where outcomes were seen as predetermined by the arrangement of the deck, gave birth to the phrase. What appeared in the spread was what was destined to unfold, making the idiom a direct nod to the mystic belief that one's future was already laid out and readable, a matter of inevitable consequence rather than mere chance.
Examples
- Given her talent and dedication, a promotion was always in the cards for Sarah.
- After months of negotiations, it became clear that a merger with the rival company was in the cards.