scuttlebutt

scuttlebutt
scuttlebutt 1805, "water cask kept on a ship's deck," from scuttle "opening in a ship's deck" (see scuttle (v.2)) + butt "barrel." Earlier scuttle cask (1777). Meaning "rumor, gossip" first recorded 1901, originally nautical slang, traditionally said to be from sailors' custom of gathering around the scuttlebutt to gossip.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Scuttlebutt — means water fountain or a rumor. [http://www.merriam webster.com/dictionary/scuttlebutt Definition of scuttlebutt from the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary ] Retrieved 2008 03 16 ] As Slang Water for immediate consumption on a sailing ship was… …   Wikipedia

  • scuttlebutt — scut tle*butt (sk[u^]t t l*b[u^]t ), n. 1. See {scuttle butt}. [PJC] 2. A drinking fountain on board a ship or at a naval station. [PJC] 3. The latest gossip; rumors. [PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • scuttlebutt — index report (rumor) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • scuttlebutt — [n] gossip babble, back fence talk*, blather, chatter, chitchat, dirty laundry*, grapevine*, hearsay, meddling, prattle, rumor, talk; concepts 274,278 …   New thesaurus

  • scuttlebutt — [skut′ l but΄] n. [orig. < scuttled butt, a cask or butt with an opening for a dipper] 1. Naut. a drinking fountain on shipboard ☆ 2. Informal rumor or gossip …   English World dictionary

  • scuttlebutt — noun /ˈskʌtəlbʌt/ a) A butt with a scuttle, a keg of drinking water with a hole cut in it, on board ship. Leaning over the scuttlebutt one afternoon, Bond suddenly realized hed been gulping water for maybe a minute. b) Gossip, rumour, idle… …   Wiktionary

  • scuttlebutt — n American gossip or rumour. The scuttlebutt was a cask or fountain of drinking water on board naval ships, around which news was exchanged. ► I hear some scuttlebutt says he likes to kick the ladies around. (Night Game, US film, 1988) …   Contemporary slang

  • scuttlebutt — n. gossip. □ What’s the scuttlebutt on the steeple clock? Why did it stop? □ Don’t pay any attention to the scuttlebutt around here …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • scuttlebutt — scut|tle|butt [ˈskʌtlbʌt] n [U] AmE informal [Date: 1900 2000; Origin: scuttlebutt container for a ship s drinking water (19 20 centuries), from scuttled having a hole cut in it (18 19 centuries) (from SCUTTLE1) + butt large container for liquid …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • scuttlebutt — /ˈskʌtlbʌt / (say skutlbut) noun 1. Nautical a cask having a hole cut in it for the introduction of a cup or dipper, and used to hold drinking water. 2. Colloquial rumour; gossip: *Mr William s accusations were scuttlebutt based on chitchat on a… …  

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