die on the vine
1. Literally (of fruit), to shrivel and die before being harvested, due to neglect or lack of resources. With the horrible drought we've had this summer, nearly all of the fruit in my orchards died on the vine. You forgot to water my tomato plant! Now they've all died on the vine! All of my strawberries died on the vine because of that unprecedented cold snap.
2. By extension, to fail prematurely or not come to fruition, as due to being ignored, neglected, impractical, or without the necessary means to succeed. The president made sweeping promises during his campaign, but many of those have died on the vine. Many of the resources for students with learning disabilities have died on the vine following the school board's budget cuts. I don't think we're going to get funding for another year—our research died on the vine awhile ago.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.