Idiom
word on the wire
Meaning
The rumour or news going around on the internet, in business, on the street, or in social circles.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“The word on the wire is that the store is closing.”
“I heard the word on the wire that our manager might be leaving soon.”
“The word on the wire among the local residents is that a new park will be built where the old factory stands.”
“Despite the official silence from the company, the word on the wire suggests that a major merger is imminent.”
Examples
simple
“The word on the wire is that the store is closing.”
contextual
“I heard the word on the wire that our manager might be leaving soon.”
“The word on the wire among the local residents is that a new park will be built where the old factory stands.”
complex
“Despite the official silence from the company, the word on the wire suggests that a major merger is imminent.”
Origin
The phrase likely emerged as a digital variation of *word on the street*, appearing once internet communications became a fixture of daily life for the general public. While it is possible the term occurred sporadically in the era of telegraphic wire services, it did not achieve any measurable currency before the early years of the consumer internet.
Its tenure in the English lexicon proved brief. The expression enjoyed its greatest use during that specific transitional period but has maintained very little currency since the initial internet era passed into something more permanent.
Key words
Related idioms
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