English

Etymology
The nautical sense is simply scuttle + butt. The slang sense was originally derived the exchange of gossip that occurs around a scuttlebutt. Compare furphy.

Noun
en-noun|sg=scuttle-butt

1. A butt with a scuttle, a cask with a hole cut in it, for holding drinking water aboard ship.
2. slang gossip

Alternative spellings
scuttlebutt

Synonyms
scuttle-cask

See also
water-cooler

vi:scuttle-butt

• 2007-07-01 02:10 - AutoFormat - Etymology changed to level 3, -(''Slang'') +{{slang}}

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