Wake-up call
noun
1.
a telephone call that wakes a person from sleep
2.
an event that alerts people to a danger or difficulty
wait up
wake-up call
A portentous event, report, or situation that brings an issue to immediate attention. For example, The rise in unemployment has given a wake-up call to state governments, or The success of the online subscription is a wake-up call to publishers. This metaphoric term originated in the second half of the 1900s for a telephone call arranged in advance to awaken a sleeper, especially in a hotel. Its figurative use dates from about 1990.
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