Through the office grapevine?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>, <span word="particularly">particularly</span> “<span word="grapevine">grapevine</span>”: <span word="Soon">Soon</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="learned">learned</span> – <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="office">office</span> <span word="grapevine">grapevine</span> – <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Jason">Jason</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="leaving">leaving</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Here">Here</span>, <span word="office">office</span> <span word="grapevine">grapevine</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="metaphor">metaphor</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rumor">rumor</span> <span word="mill">mill</span>. <span word="Obviously">Obviously</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="grapevines">grapevines</span> <span word="involved">involved</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="office">office</span> <span word="cubicles">cubicles</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="separated">separated</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="thick">thick</span> <span word="grapevines">grapevines</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="colleagues">colleagues</span> <span word="talk">talk</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="other">other</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="through">through</span> <span word="leafy">leafy</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="wiry">wiry</span> <span word="vines">vines</span>.</p><p><span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bad">bad</span> <span word="idea">idea</span>, <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="possible">possible</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="plant">plant</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="crawly">crawly</span> <span word="vines">vines</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="modern">modern</span> <span word="office">office</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="provide">provide</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="needed">needed</span> <span word="green">green</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="least">least</span>.</p><p><span word="Actually">Actually</span>, <span word="though">though</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="heard">heard</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="Jason">Jason</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="leaving">leaving</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="likely">likely</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="cooler">cooler</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="employees">employees</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="drinking">drinking</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="quick">quick</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="meet">meet</span>. <span word="Sometimes">Sometimes</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="linger">linger</span> <span word="round">round</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="cooler">cooler</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="talk">talk</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="should">should</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="boiler">boiler</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="employees">employees</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="prefer">prefer</span> <span word="hot">hot</span> <span word="water">water</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="days">days</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="coffee">coffee</span> <span word="machine">machine</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="auto">auto</span> <span word="coffee">coffee</span> <span word="makers">makers</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="increasingly">increasingly</span> <span word="installed">installed</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="modern">modern</span> <span word="open">open</span>-<span word="space">space</span> <span word="office">office</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="grapevine">grapevine</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="metaphor">metaphor</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="originally">originally</span> <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span>, <span word="surprise">surprise</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="telephone">telephone</span> <span word="line">line</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="explanation">explanation</span>, <span word="from">from</span> <span word="English">English</span>-<span word="for">for</span>-<span word="students">students</span>.<span word="com">com</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="early">early</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="telegraphy">telegraphy</span>, <span word="companies">companies</span> <span word="rushed">rushed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="telegraph">telegraph</span> <span word="poles">poles</span>, <span word="some">some</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="none">none</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="using">using</span> <span word="trees">trees</span> <span word="rather">rather</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="poles">poles</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="some">some</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tangled">tangled</span> <span word="wires">wires</span> <span word="resembled">resembled</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wild">wild</span> <span word="vines">vines</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="California">California</span>, <span word="hence">hence</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Grapevine">Grapevine</span>. <span word="During">During</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="Civil">Civil</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="telegraph">telegraph</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="extensively">extensively</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="messages">messages</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="sometime">sometime</span> <span word="unreliable">unreliable</span>, <span word="hence">hence</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="association">association</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="rumour">rumour</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="grapevine">grapevine</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="appeared">appeared</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="print">print</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1852.</p>
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