scuttlebutt

noun

1. (countable)Originally (now chiefly historical), a cask with a hole cut into its top, used to provide drinking water on board a ship; now (by extension, informal), a drinking fountain on a modern ship.

   “[S]o they continue to fire as directed, until they are either sent down to the cock-pit themselves, or have a momentary respite from their exertions, when, choaked with smoke and gunpowder, they go aft to the scuttle-butt, to remove their parching thirst.”

   “In this way, with an occasional break by relieving the wheel, heaving the log, and going to the scuttle-butt for a drink of water, the longest watch was passed away; […]”

   “It was the middle-watch: a fair moonlight; the seamen were standing in a cordon, extending from one of the fresh-water butts in the waist, to the scuttle-butt near the taffrail. In this manner, they passed the buckets to fill the scuttle-butt.”

   “[T]he scuttle-butts are on the starboard side of the galley. You will find a bottle on one of them that will serve as a dipper. Drink moderately, for your life's sake, and get a pannikin from the galley and bring it aft, filled.”

2. (slang, uncountable)Gossip, idle chatter; also, rumour.

   “"That's the scuttlebutt," Bronson said defiantly. "You got some pet coolie down there you want to put in Chien's place." / "Who told you that?" / "It's just scuttlebutt." / "Scuttlebutt travels on words." Holman's voice was shaking. "You tell me one man you heard say that, or I'll beat your fat face in!"”

   “His resolve not to worry about unfounded scuttlebutt lasted about two minutes.”

   “They were bound this day for the city of Chicago, and the World's Columbian Exposition recently opened there. Since their orders had come through, the "scuttlebutt" among the excited and curious crew had been of little besides the fabled "White City," […]”

verb

1. (rare, slang, transitive)To spread (information) by way of gossip or rumour.

   “The Pentagon rumor factory hasn't been very busy lately, but some reports are being scuttlebutted about that the U.S. military chiefs are being downgraded in the pecking order and that their military advice has been bypassed or ignored by the Carter Administration.”

   “[B]ased on information coming back to the community after the initial review at the regional level, a concern that there was someone or some entity at the regional office that—who had a purposeful intent of scuttlebutting the Summit sale.”

   “Despite my sister's story, I am pretty sure they would have dismissed the bride story as so much malarkey scuttlebutted about by the town "talkers."”

   “Baloth growled angrily, balefully glaring at the perked ears of the nosy shoe shining demon, who knew he would be scuttle butting this entire conversation as soon as he got done with his chore.”

2. (intransitive, slang)To chat idly or gossip; also, to spread rumours.

   “During the fighting for Manila, it was scuttle-butted among the troops that they must never put pin-up pictures on the walls of the Manila Hotel because Mrs. [Douglas] MacArthur owned fifty per cent of the property and Brigadier General Courtney Whitney, of MacArthur's staff, owned the other half.”

   “Could that picture (of the water skiier taking a spill in the April issue) possibly be the latest development in the "one man helicopter" which is currently scuttlebutting around the aviation underground?”

   “Isn't it scuttlebutted and kicked around that if Litton is successful that it will use its yard down at Pascagula, Miss.? Isn't that generally understood between you two gentlemen?”

   “Prodigal Son: Steve Wax, who rose meteorically from local promotion to top national posts with Bell and Elektra/Asylum, scuttlebutted as readying a return to the record arena.”

   “We've all been scuttlebutting about him. He hasn't come to the consulate, hasn't even called our head honcho, who wants to get his picture in the papers with him.”