ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bush telegraph

idiom
Meaning

A system used by undeveloped societies in remote regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds, word-of-mouth relay, or smoke signals.


Examples
SIMPLE

News travels fast through the bush telegraph in this village.

CONTEXTUAL

Without any modern technology, the locals rely on the bush telegraph to share important information across the valley.

COMPLEX

Long before the arrival of modern telecommunications, the bush telegraph served as the primary method for transmitting urgent messages across the vast, rugged landscape.

Anchors to
Related idioms4entries
  1. 01

    beat around the bush

    To treat a topic, but omit its main points, often intentionally.

  2. 02

    bush league

    A professional sports association at the lower levels of minor league organization.

  3. 03

    jungle telegraph

    A system used by primitive cultures in remote tropical regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds or a relay of runners.

  4. 04

    mukluk telegraph

    The spread of information and gossip by word of mouth in rural Alaska.

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