Leaning over the scuttlebutt one afternoon, Bond suddenly realized hed been gulping water for maybe a minute.
During the midwatch a radioman striker (that is, a seaman trying to advance to radioman third class) was taking a drink of water from the third-deck scuttlebutt.
Wikipedia foundation.
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 — 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… … Etymology dictionary
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 — 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… …
