Search from various English teachers...
tuziyf
What does "dying on the vine" mean? I saw this sentence in a novel. I looked it up in the dictionary but there is no such a phrase. The full sentence in the novel is "You are dying on the vine to know what I think." Thanks for the help.
Mar 3, 2013 6:13 AM
Answers · 6
1
It's an idiom referencing grapes. A grape, left unpicked, will sit in place and wither away if left too long. It basically means, "You want to know so badly that it's killing you".
March 3, 2013
1
"To be dying to...(verb)" means the person desperately wants to do that action. Adding "on the vine" creates a new analogy to exaggerate the idiom. The full phrase is a creation of the writer, so if you tried using it, you'd sound a little too clever for your own good.
March 3, 2013
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!