alarm bell

alarm bell

A sudden warning or intimation of danger, risk, or ill fortune. (Often pluralized.) Alarm bells were going off in my head when I saw the panicked expression on her face.
See also: alarm, bell
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • alarm
  • all of a sudden
  • set off alarm bells
  • set alarm bells ringing
  • raise the alarm
  • sound the alarm
  • bell
  • alarm bells start to ring
  • alarm bells start ringing
  • wear the cap and bells
References in periodicals archive
Mr Attard said: "The fact that this is a high-security prison must be ringing alarm bells at the most senior level.
Prison chiefs urge staff review after disturbance
"Unemployment in the North East has increased by 13,000 in the last three months and alarm bells should be ringing.
Aldi supermarket to create more than 300 jobs in North East; The supermarket is recruiting for its stores in Newcastle, South Shields and Gateshead in a welcome boost for the region
But RAC chief engineer David Bizley said the fuel duty freeze "sounds alarm bells for next year as by not extending the freeze further it potentially signals the country's first increase in duty since 2011".
Fuel duty freeze is welcomed; FUEL DUTY
ASTON Villa full-bacK Ryan Bertrand is eager to Keep his name in the hat for a place in England's World Cup squad after admitting "alarm bells" were ringing due to his lacK of opportunities at Chelsea.
Ryan is eyeing a ticket to Brazil
Alarm bells began ringing when she jumped into the Loxdale Sidings Canal at Bilston yesterday and couldn't get out.
Saved by the Bell to local fire brigade
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison urged Immigration Minister Chris Bowen to investigate, saying the figures raised concerns.Alarm bells should certainly ring and what I want to know is have those alarm bells been ringing, have these applications been properly interrogated?" Morrison said.
Opposition demands Oz govt. to investigate spouse 'visa racket'
ALARM bells rang when I heard Leona Lewis was pushing back the release of third album Glassheart until next year.
Lewis album will be Better In Time
However, this does not yet suggest any strengthening in the economic activity and should not ring the alarm bells for the Central Bank to tighten monetary policy anytime soon.
Turkey : Real Estate Sector Capacity utilization rate increased to 74.7% in July
"There should have been alarm bells ringing," he said.
Jade death 'neglect' says doc
When a club has such massive boardroom problems - as Newcastle clearly do - it is inevitable that the strife will seep down to the players and their recent results should have alarm bells ringing out of control on the Tyne.
Trauma on the Tyne
London -- The following list of recent 2006 events ought to raise alarm bells.
Signs of a disintegrating society?
At his auto dealership in Powell, Tennessee, Greg "Lumpy" Lambert had alarm bells ringing in his head on November 11 after a 19-year-old customer test drove a 2005 Ford Focus and then offered to buy the car for cash" without any haggling or even a mechanical inspection," reported the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Test driving a jail cell
The TUC, which commissioned the poll, said the results should ring "alarm bells" in Westminster.
Half voters think NHS worse under Labour
It seemed incredible, but as a brilliant keynote speaker Saskia Sassen reminded us, it is only 20 years since various sages were predicting the end of cities, not the extraordinary growth which the Biennale both celebrates and sounds alarm bells over.
City architecture: politics and its architectural consequences featured heavily at the Venice Biennale