Mrrzzy:

Searching the web reveals that this phrase is massively popular for apocalyptic visions ranging from the end of fashion trends to the closing of web sites to the doom of the planet.

Obviously apocalyptic thinking has been going on since the first Neanderthal had the crapola scared out of him by a volcano going off.

In our age, though, you can blame it on Pat Robertson who clearly identifies when the world will end on this page. The Old and new Testament stuff he cites just further supports my assertion that people have been alarming about that the sky is falling, the world ending, and cataclysm upon us since God was in kneepants. Seriously, Pat Robertson aside, I think this is a mindset that goes back to the earliest roots of fear in the world.

Unfortunately there is no easy way to trace the particular phrase to its roots without a few days of hard work, which i fear I cannot spare!

A.