Chinese idiom · 成语
顺藤摸瓜
Meaning
Follow the vine to find the melon; trace clues to the source.
Character by character
Origin and story
proverbThe saying draws on an ordinary connection in a garden: following a trailing vine leads to the melon growing from it. Figuratively, an initial clue gives an investigator something to follow until a less visible fact is found. Han Dian records a 1982 People's Daily usage about solving a theft case in this way. That is an attestation of the expression, not proof that a newspaper writer invented it or that the saying began in that year. No single historical gardener or detective is needed to explain the image. It describes evidence-led tracing rather than guessing an answer first.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
我从一张旧收据顺藤摸瓜，终于查清了这笔费用的来历。
Following the clues from an old receipt, I finally worked out where this expense came from.
Used for tracing connected clues, in everyday investigation as well as police work.