Telegraph your intentions
Meaning
To make your future actions or plans obvious to others, often unintentionally.
Origin
The phrase borrows a metaphor from the early days of the telegraph, where messages were sent in code, often in short bursts. Imagine a sender tapping out a message, inadvertently revealing their plans before they've even arrived. This implied a lack of subtlety, a communication so clear and unmistakable it essentially broadcasted what was coming. The telegraph revolutionized communication, allowing for rapid transmission of information over vast distances, and this idiom captures that sense of exposed, forewarned knowledge.
Examples
- He tried to hide his surprise, but he telegraphed his intentions with a wide grin.
- Don't telegraph your intentions by asking too many questions about the inheritance.
- The wizard telegraphed his intentions to vanish by wiggling his nose a bit too dramatically.
- When the cat started purring and kneading the blanket with extra gusto, it was clearly telegraphing its intentions for a nap.
Frequently asked questions
'Telegraph your intentions' is generally considered an informal idiom. While understood in many contexts, it's more commonly used in everyday conversation or less formal writing than in academic or highly official documents.
The opposite of 'telegraph your intentions' is to keep your plans a secret or to act with surprise. This could be described as being inscrutable, playing your cards close to your chest, or ambushing someone with your actions.
While typically used for communicating with others, the phrase can metaphorically apply to oneself if one recognizes a pattern in their own behavior that predictably leads to a certain outcome. It highlights self-awareness of one's own predictable actions.
It can be negative, implying a lack of subtlety or strategic thinking, but it's not inherently so. Sometimes, clearly communicating intentions, even early on, can be a positive strategy for building trust or setting expectations.