straw in the wind

1. A small sign that hints of something that is about to happen: “It is difficult to tell whether the new regime will relax censorship, although a recent remark by the minister of culture may be a straw in the wind.”

Idioms and Phrases

A slight hint of the future, as in The public unrest is a straw in the wind indicating future problems for the regime . This expression alludes to a straw showing in what direction the wind blows, an observation also behind the idiom straw vote .

Example Sentences

"If you are 20 points behind in the polls you are going to grasp at any straw in the wind - and this is a straw in the wind," he says.

From BBC

“That Texas ruling, it seems to me, is a straw in the wind that abortion laws are going to be freshly scrutinized by this Supreme Court,” Carlson said.

From Seattle Times

“These figures may well be an interesting straw in the wind about political sentiments in early 2021,” said William Galston, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

From Reuters

Credit Suisse, Mr. Véron said, could be “a straw in the wind that suggests there is a relaxation of risk management within banks because it is so difficult to make money on interest margins.”

From New York Times

So I think that's a straw in the wind, that there's a dissatisfaction.

From Salon