scuttlebutt
pronunciation
How to pronounce scuttlebutt in British English:
UK [ˈskʌtlbʌt]
How to pronounce scuttlebutt in American English:
US [ˈskʌtlˌbʌt]
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- Noun:
- a report (often malicious) about the behavior of other people
Word Origin
- scuttlebutt (n.)
- 1805, "cask of drinking water kept on a ship's deck, having a hole (scuttle) cut in it for a cup or dipper," from scuttle "opening in a ship's deck" (see scuttle (v.2)) + butt (n.2) "barrel." Earlier scuttle cask (1777). Meaning "rumor, gossip" first recorded 1901, originally nautical slang, traditionally said to be from the sailors' custom of gathering around the scuttlebutt to gossip. Compare water-cooler, figurative for "workplace gossip" mid-20c.
Example
- 1. All this scuttlebutt was laughed off as nonsense .
- 2. The scuttlebutt is that the aide will step aside in 2010 to make way for an election bid by mr biden 's son , currently serving in iraq .
- 3. Since the iphone is the apple 's golden goose right now , it 's no surprise that it also commands the largest share of the aforementioned scuttlebutt .
- 4. Do you believe that scuttlebutt about helen having an affair with her boss ?
- 5. With luck the reporters would follow up on the scuttlebutt without mentioning its source , assuring themselves that they had got the story through their " contacts " .