# bush telegraph

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bush-telegraph
Updated: 2026-08-10

## 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

- News travels fast through the bush telegraph in this village.
- Without any modern technology, the locals rely on the bush telegraph to share important information across the valley.
- Long before the arrival of modern telecommunications, the bush telegraph served as the primary method for transmitting urgent messages across the vast, rugged landscape.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.