Etymology Journal · H
Hear it through the grapevine
Meaning
- To hear something through the grapevine is to get news via informal channels like gossip or rumors. It is the original version of receiving a DM from a friend of a friend.
Clandestine, chatty
Used in a sentence
- I heard it through the grapevine that we might be getting bonuses this quarter.
- I heard through the grapevine that you are finally moving to the city.
- Did you hear it through the grapevine or did someone actually tell you the truth?
The backstory
This term emerged during the American Civil War era when the telegraph lines were notoriously unreliable and tangled like vines. Messages transmitted were often distorted or overheard by unauthorized people.
Heard in
Nationwide
Vibe check