Bullet with one's name on it

This metaphor expresses the fatalistic view that a bullet is about to strike a person, usually with fatal results, and dates from the First World War. It is sometimes used to describe an artillery shell as well as a bullet, and is often expanded to 'a bullet or shell with one's name and number on it'. It is sometimes used in sporting contexts e.g. in cricket and baseball, where a ball can have one's name on it.