# hear through the grapevine

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hear-through-the-grapevine
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To hear rumors; to learn through hearsay.

## Examples

- I heard through the grapevine that she's quitting.
- No one told me directly; I just heard through the grapevine that the office is moving.
- Though the company had issued no official statement, investors had already heard through the grapevine that the merger was collapsing.

## Origin

The term originates from the Grapevine, a telegraph line established in 1859 running between Placerville, California, and Virginia City, Nevada. The wire was strung loosely from trees rather than poles, causing the line to sag and curl in a manner reminiscent of the vines of California grapes. By 1861, this improvised infrastructure was replaced by the Pacific Telegraph, which utilised standard poles and offered a more reliable connection. During the American Civil War, the "grapevine telegraph" became a proverbial shorthand for unreliable or informal communication. In areas isolated by the conflict, where official lines were frequently cut or non-existent, information travelled through these tangled, unofficial networks. The phrase persists as a reference to the transmission of rumours, the accuracy of which remains as precarious as the original wiring.

---

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.