grapevine

• n. vine; grapevine; gossip; 秘密情報網

18世紀初頭に電信システムが導入され、電線がブドウの木に似た無造作な形で敷設されたことから。情報の断片という意味で電信から派生。

grapevine (n.)

also grape-vine, 1736, from grape + vine. Meaning "a rumor; a secret or unconventional method of spreading information" (1863) is from the use of grapevine telegraph as "secret source of information and rumor" in the American Civil War; in reference to Southerners under northern occupation but also in reference to black communities and runaway slaves.

The false reports touching rebel movements, which incessantly circulated in Nashville, brings us to the consideration of the "grapevine telegraph"--a peculiar institution of rebel generation, devised for the duplex purpose of "firing the Southern heart," and to annoy the "Yankees." It is worthy of attention, as one of the signs of the times, expressing the spirit of lying which war engenders. But it is no more than just to say that there is often so little difference between the "grapevine" and the associated press telegraph, that they might as well be identical. ["Rosecrans' Campaign with the Fourteenth Corps," Cincinnati, 1863]

1. He 'd doubtless heard rumours on the grapevine .

彼は間違いなく噂を聞いた。

2.I heard about your success on the office grapevine .

オフィスの噂を聞いて、あなたは成功したと言った。

3.I had heard through the grapevine that he was quite critical of what we were doing.

私は彼が私たちがやっている仕事に非常に不満を持っているという噂を聞いた。

4. I heard ( about ) it through [ on ] the ( neighborhood ) grapevine .

私は（近所の）噂でそれを聞いたのです。

5.I heard through the grapevine that the minister is going to resign.

私は噂を聞いて、首相は辞任します。