Hear it Through the Grapevine In english explanation

The meaning, explanation, definition and origin of the idiom/phrase "Hear it Through the Grapevine", English Idiom Dictionary ( also found in Vietnamese )

author Luna Linh calendar 2021-03-05 11:03

Meaning of Hear it Through the Grapevine

Synonyms:

little birdie told me , heard through back channels

Hear it Through the Grapevine American spoken language verb phrase

To hear or learn of something passed from one person to another or an unofficial source 

I heard through the grapevine that Kate failed the exam twice.

A: "How do you know David went bankrupt?" B: "I heard it through the grapevine."

I heard through the grapevine that Jake was having an affair with his neighbor.

Other phrases about:

start tongues (a-)wagging

Used to indicate that a lot of people are talking about or discuss something

an ear duster

Someone who loves to gossip

latrinogram

Used to indicate any gossip, rumor, or unfounded information that spread in the military latrines (communal toilets).

be on everyone's lips

If something is on everyone's lips, people are discussing or talking about it.

Grammar and Usage of Hear it Through the Grapevine

Verb Forms

The verb "hear" is often conjugated in the simple past.

Origin of Hear it Through the Grapevine

This phrase dated back to the mid-1800s, referred to the American telegraph system whose name was "the grapevine telegraph". It was named like that because of the tangled wires reminded them of grapevines. During the American Civil War, this system was used to communicate propaganda or false information, therefore most news heard on "grapevines" are often unreliable. Some people also say that grapevines also carry the connotation of rural poverty, and could thus indicate mouth-to-mouth gossip between people who couldn’t afford more sophisticated technology.

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to look like a drowned rat

To be very wet

Example:

Because of forgetting bringing an umbrella, I look like a drowned rat when it rains.

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