Learn through the grapevine

Sure, I can explain the crossword clue ‘Learn through the grapevine‘ and the answer ‘HEAR‘ in detail.

When we say ‘Learn through the grapevine‘, we mean that we get the information secondhand, not directly from the source. The phrase originates from an old communication system wherein farmers used to place grapevines near fences to pass on information to their neighbors. The sound would travel through the vine and carry the message to the other end.

Now, the answer to this crossword clue is ‘HEAR‘. In simple terms, hearing means perceiving sound through the ears. But when it comes to language, hearing has a more nuanced meaning. ‘Hearing‘ an information implies that it came to you as a result of someone else saying or mentioning it. It means that you did not witness the event or hear the story from the person it happened to directly.

For example, if someone says, “I heard through the grapevine that you got a new job,” they mean they received the information from someone else who was not you. So, in this context, the word ‘hear‘ fits perfectly as the answer to the crossword clue ‘Learn through the grapevine.’

I hope this explanation helped you understand the crossword clue and the answer ‘HEAR‘.