Language Café

道听途说 Hear it on the grapevine


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【Definition】To hear rumors' about something or someone.【Etymology】The term originated in the USA and comes from the telegraph system invented in the 19th century by Samuel Morse. The system required thousands of kilometers of telegraph wire to be installed, held in place several meters above the ground by telegraph poles placed at regular intervals along the telegraph route.People thought the wires and poles looked like the strings used to train vines so the telegraph lines became known as 'the grapevine'. During the American Civil War rumors were often spread via the telegraph lines. When people were asked whether a particular story was true, they would often reply 'I heard it through the grapevine'.
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Language CaféBy China Plus

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