Day 772: Grapevines

Today’s word and topic, dear readers, is “Grapevines.” I know at least three definitions of the word “grapevine.” Let’s see what the on-line defining experts say.

1. a vine native to both Eurasia and North America, especially one bearing fruit (grapes) used for eating or winemaking. Numerous cultivars and hybrids have been developed for the winemaking industry.

I’ve never seen the word “cultivars” before, but maybe I’ll find out about that and other grapevine-related information when I visit Wine Country in California, very soon.

When I grapevined over to Google Images and entered “Wine Country California,” I received the above sign of that grapevine-y image (found here).

Here’s the next definition of “grapevine”:

2. informal
used to refer to the circulation of rumors and unofficial information.
“I’d heard through the grapevine that the business was nearly settled”

Perhaps you’ve heard it through the grapevine — or through your own experience of my blog — that I like to include music I love in these posts. Yesterday, I heard it, through my headphones, THREE versions of a favorite song in a grapevine row, as I was walking and grapevining to my car after work.

Gladys Knights and the Pips are grapevining through “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” here on YouTube.

Yes I am also hearing this live performance of Marvin Gaye singing “I Heard it Through the Grapevine on YouTube:

Creedance Clearwater Revival also are hearing it through the grapevine (here on YouTube, with lyrics):

Whenever I hear Creedance’s version of “Grapevine,” this thought grapevines through my mind: What accent is assigned, when “heard” sounds like “hoid”?

Before you hear this through the grapevine, I’ll tell you that I also like Michael McDonald‘s version of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” (here on YouTube):

You may have heard it through the grapevine — or just read it in this post — that I know a third definition of grapevine.

Can you guess what that is?

That third definition did NOT grapevine back to me in my first search online for grapevine defines.

When I grapevine over to Merriam-webster.com, I find these grapevine signs:

First Known Use of GRAPEVINE

circa 1736
Rhymes with GRAPEVINE

A-line, affine, airline, align, alkyne, alpine, assign, at sign, balkline, baseline, beeline, benign, bloodline, blue line, blush wine, bo…

The Merriam-Webster grapevine gives us the date of first usage and the beginning of an obviously long list of rhymes, but no sign or line of the fine wine of that third way to define.

One more grape from the vine of Merriam Webster:

Definition of GRAPEVINE

city N Texas NE of Fort Worth pop 46,334

I shall now grapevine more online defines until the defining stars align in a way that’s benign and in line with mine.

Arrghh!  I can’t find that definition for which I pine!  Although I did find these fine lines, at vocabulary.com:

In the Civil War, a grapevine telegraph was a gadget used for communicating. From there, people started talking about “the grapevine” as a source of information, especially gossip. If you heard from a friend of a friend that another friend is getting married, you heard it on the grapevine. If your cousin’s cousin told you about a family scandal, you heard it on the grapevine. The grapevine is unofficial and full of hearsay: what you hear might not be accurate.

Perhaps it’s unofficial, hearsay, and inaccurate that there is a third definition of “grapevine.” However, I shall not resign, but bee-line to this fine define at Wikipedia:

Grapevine (dance move)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Grapevine is a dance figure in partner dancing that shares a common appearance, with some variation, in ballroom, club, and folk dances. It includes side steps and steps across the support foot. The step is used, for example, in the Foxtrot, Polka, Electric Slide and Hustle as well as in Freestyle aerobics.

Here are some signs and lines I saw as I grapevined through yesterday:

 

  

One final grapevine sign: I have yet to hear — through the medical grapevine — anything defined about my heart’s (alleged) decline (while I feel fine enough to grapevine).

That won’t stop me from grapevining up the coast of California, starting in three fine days!

Thanks to grapevines, grapeviners, definers, all those who composed, sang, or played on any version of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” the Fenway Park area of Boston, and to you — of course! — for grapevining your way here, today.