Etymology The noun is derived from scuttle (“to cut a hole through (something)”) + butt (“wooden cask”). Noun sense 2 (“gossip, idle chatter; rumour”) refers to the fact that sailors would gather around the scuttlebutt to drink and exchange gossip; compare furphy and water cooler. The verb is derived from the noun.
1
Nautical, Transport 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.1830, [Frederick Marryat], chapter VIII, in The King’s Own. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, pages 93–94:
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; […]1840, R[ichard] H[enry] D[ana], Jr., chapter XXXII, in Two Years before the Mast. […] (Harper’s Family Library; no. CVI), New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers […], →OCLC, page 407:
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The scuttle-butt is a goodly, round, painted cask, standing on end, and with its upper head removed, showing a narrow circular shelf within, where rest a number of tin cups for the accommodation of drinkers. Central, within the scuttle-butt itself, stands an iron pump, which, connecting with the immense water-tanks in the hold, furnishes an unfailing supply of the much-admired Pale Ale, first brewed in the brooks of the Garden of Eden, and stamped with the brand of our old father Adam, who never knew what wine was.1850, Herman Melville, “A Man-of-War Fountain, and Other Things”, in White-Jacket; or, The World in a Man-of-War, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, publishers; London: Richard Bentley, published 1855, →OCLC, page 332:
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.1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “Hark!”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 217:
[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.1880, W[illiam] Clark Russell, “The Survivors of the ‘Waldershare’”, in A Sailor’s Sweetheart. […], volume II, London: Sampson Low, Searle & Rivington, […], →OCLC, pages 273–274:
When the eight new tankers of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey start on their coastwise service, their crews will be assured of the proper preservation of their perishable foods. Carrier refrigerating systems will provide for the 1220 ft.³ refrigerator, chill room of 890 ft.³, and the scuttle butt with storage capacity of 40 gal. of drinking water.1936 October, “Eight Tankers Equipped with Modern Facilities for Food Preservation”, in Refrigerating Engineering: Economic Application of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, volume 32, number 4, New York, N.Y.: American Society of Refrigerating Engineers, →OCLC, page 285, column 1:
"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!"1962 September, Richard McKenna, chapter 9, in The Sand Pebbles […], New York, N.Y.; Evanston, Ill.: Harper & Row, →OCLC, page 137:
His resolve not to worry about unfounded scuttlebutt lasted about two minutes.2003, Len Custer, Called to Serve: A Historical Novel of the Korean War, New York, N.Y.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 211:
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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," […]2006, Thomas Pynchon, “The Light over the Ranges”, in Against the Day, New York, N.Y.: Penguin Press, →ISBN, page 3:
scuttlebutt
verb
Etymology The noun is derived from scuttle (“to cut a hole through (something)”) + butt (“wooden cask”). Noun sense 2 (“gossip, idle chatter; rumour”) refers to the fact that sailors would gather around the scuttlebutt to drink and exchange gossip; compare furphy and water cooler. The verb is derived from the noun.
1
Rare, Slang 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.1978 April, Lloyd Norman, “The Military Chiefs and Defense Policy: Is Anyone Listening?”, in L. James Binder, editor, Army, volume 28, number 4, Arlington, Va.: Association of the United States Army, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 14, column 1:
[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.1998 September 2, Dennis Reynolds, “Statement of Dennis Reynolds, Grant County Judge, Grant County, Or”, in Removing Roadblocks to Responsible Forest Management: Hearing before the Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifth Congress, Second Session […] (Serial No. 105-64), Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, →ISBN, page 23:
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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."2003, Bridget Connelly, “On the Trail of the Thousand Dollar Bride”, in Forgetting Ireland, St. Paul, Minn.: Borealis Books, Minnesota Historical Society Press, →ISBN, part 1 (Oblivion), page 51:
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.2007, Richard Gartner, The Angel Jon, Mustang, Okla.: Tate Publishing & Enterprises, →ISBN, page 172:
2
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.1946, John LaCerda, “Whitecaps on the Moat”, in The Conqueror Comes to Tea: Japan under MacArthur, New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, →OCLC, pages 97–98:
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?1952 June, James A. Young, Jr., “Letters”, in Arthur L. Schoeni, editor, Naval Aviation News, Washington, D.C.: Chief of Naval Operations and Bureau of Aeronautics, →OCLC, page 32, column 1:
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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?1967 March 2, Alton Lennon, committee member, “Statement of Adm. David L. McDonald, Chief of Naval Operations”, in Hearings on Military Posture and a Bill (H.R. 9240) to Authorize Appropriations during the Fiscal Year 1968 […] before the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Ninetieth Congress, First Session […] (Serial No. 8), Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 626:
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.1984 July 21, “Inside Track”, in Adam White, editor, Billboard: The International Newsweekly of Music & Home Entertainment, volume 96, number 28, New York, N.Y.: Billboard Publications, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 72, column 4:
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.1986, Robert Ludlum, chapter 17, in The Bourne Supremacy, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →ISBN, page 236: