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