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Scuttlebutt, the Water Cooler Talk of 19th Century Seafarers
When office workers catch up on the latest scuttlebutt around the water cooler, they are continuing a long-standing tradition that probably also occurred on sailing ships of yore. Back in the early 1800s, scuttlebutt (an alteration of scuttled butt) referred to a cask containing a ship’s daily supply of fresh water (scuttle means “to cut a hole through the bottom,” and butt means “cask”); that name was later applied to a drinking fountain on a ship or at a naval installation. In time, the term for the water source was also applied to the gossip and rumors disseminated around it, and the latest chatter has been called “scuttlebutt” ever since.
Examples of scuttlebutt in a Sentence
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026
Based on evidence found in the initial weeks, the school and law firm still needed actual proof of improprieties, and not having to base their claims on scuttlebutt around the facility.
—Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
And both the scuttlebutt and spoilers could conceivably conspire to hurt the bottom line.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
For all the scuttlebutt about the Big 12’s new LED glass court, reviews have mostly been positive from players and coaches.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scuttlebutt
Cite this Entry
“Scuttlebutt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scuttlebutt. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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scuttlebutt
noun
