# Why's the grapevine called the grapevine? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whys-the-grapevine-called-the-grapevine/283300 "2005-01-05T23:46:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whys-the-grapevine-called-the-grapevine/283300/1 "2005-01-05T23:46:07Z")
Dearies: Driving down to the godforsaken city of Los Angeles from the comfy confines of Northern California, you must take a stretch of highway called The Grapevine. I’ve heard various, seemingly bogus, theories on the origin of its moniker but thought the devout Cecilites could help me out. And please, no California Raisins jokes. -Birdmonster ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whys-the-grapevine-called-the-grapevine/283300/2 "2005-01-05T23:52:50Z")
It’s been called the Grapevine for a long time. But it appears that it has to do with early travelers encountering grape vines along the path of the original road through the mountains, the Ridge Route. [http://www.ridgeroute.com/history.asp](http://www.ridgeroute.com/history.asp) ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whys-the-grapevine-called-the-grapevine/283300/3 "2005-01-05T23:54:07Z")
Or for an even longer explanation: [http://www.californiahistorian.com/articles/ridge-route.html](http://www.californiahistorian.com/articles/ridge-route.html) ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whys-the-grapevine-called-the-grapevine/283300/4 "2005-01-06T04:36:40Z")
:eek: Grapevines along side the road. I didn’t know that. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whys-the-grapevine-called-the-grapevine/283300/5 "2005-01-06T04:52:34Z")
Or perhaps it’s named after the [city of Grapevine, CA](http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?pan=n&ovi=1&mapdata=OE4WNszgW9zOswpMZ5LIQMenWPBCgIf40TxDGrfi7yMkINbE3Rp1qjyyWeJVH84qNdQ4wz5OJ%2byDiOP1tuYj%2bOD0QcyEyVn4xeWIiwrkKDClyjS7%2bHpn%2fAfaAAA5zGUWhhug3Ctj5OWegN4NZEP%2fXxp4hk6GDWLoXgJAUI%2fPqGiyY9DP1b6RwIqXFgKlH7HtMxjWqfs%2b%2fSGa4KoQb%2f6dJIay7DHuHBA7ulNUl0GdRKeYg%2fTqpo3A3UEchZNnWxnZdlBdoxzXX9uiPWYwBu4qKfU%2fqnxqBRg8wH5MYtD6ZGAnertbCJj7QC8qtcNiQc3x2iV9%2fRYD74rzyESMy6glPoin8bIeDbO6G8MopkkIME3V5CI7LQNRWd34OLEh%2fp9yr6JC4lvdfzL2ej6SkzsqOIrM7bBUJNB7%2bmhS98KN8lw%3d) at the bottom of the grade? Granted, there’s not much there… [Hijack] Is ANY other major interstate route more vulnerable to being shut down by winter storms than the Grapevine? Certainly not in So. California! ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whys-the-grapevine-called-the-grapevine/283300/6 "2005-01-06T05:06:35Z")
Just for the record, I opened this thread expecting a discussion of why the ‘grapevine’, aka the ‘rumor mill’, was called the ‘grapevine’. I’m from the east coast; I’d never heard of either a highway nor city called such. Anyway, I was going to suggest it had to do with the way grapevines travel about and twist around, and seem to get into all sorts of places, but never mind, carry on like I never even stopped by… ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whys-the-grapevine-called-the-grapevine/283300/7 "2005-01-06T07:58:40Z")
If it was up to the people in the South, it would be referred to as **kudzu**. [link](http://www.cptr.ua.edu/kudzu/) ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whys-the-grapevine-called-the-grapevine/283300/8 "2005-01-07T18:59:46Z")
Applause for the help. I was striking out terrifically.