the.com/cue
the tiny signal that tells you it's your turn to exist.
means a prompt, often deliberately understated, that tells a person or thing precisely when to act.
from likely from the theatrical shorthand q for latin quando, meaning when, scribbled in old scripts to mark an actor's entrance; the billiards stick is unrelated, from french queue meaning tail.
two meaningsstage prompt and pool stick share only a sound
queue linka line of people is a cue in disguise
silent powera raised eyebrow can be a cue
missed cueslive tv exists in fear of them
for instance
applause sign — studio audiences cued to clap since 1940s tv tapings
conductor downbeat — orchestras start on a single visible flick of the baton
traffic light — green is humanity's most obeyed universal cue
snooker break — the cue ball's first strike decides the whole frame