wear the green willow

wear the green willow

To grieve for lost or unrequited love. The willow tree is traditionally associated with sadness. My grandmother has been wearing the green willow ever since my grandfather died. I wore the green willow after my true love married another man.

See also: green, wear, willow

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

wear the green willow

1 grieve for the loss of a loved one. 2 suffer unrequited love. literary

A willow branch or leaves traditionally symbolized grief or unrequited love. In Othello , Desdemona sings the mournful ‘willow song’, about a maid forsaken by her lover, shortly before she is murdered.

See also: green, wear, willow

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017