jungle telegraph

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jungle telegraph

noun jungle telegraphs

idiomatic A system used by primitive cultures in remote tropical regions for communication over long distances, such as drum sounds or a relay of runners. Working both sides of the stream, they got native chieftains to pass the word by jungle telegraph.
Similar: bush telegraph
idiomatic A gossip network; an informal communication system within a group or organization. And the jungle telegraph at Bryant Park is alive with rumors that the show's biggest name, Lauren Conrad, will be here any day.
Similar: bush telegraph, grapevine, rumor mill

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"jungle telegraph." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/jungle%20telegraph. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

jungle telegraph. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/jungle%20telegraph

Chicago

"jungle telegraph." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/jungle%20telegraph.

BibTeX

@misc{jungle_telegraph_2026,
  title = {jungle telegraph},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/jungle%20telegraph},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}