Willow's Weekly Word

I think etymology is incredibly interesting and have decided to
make it a regular feature on my blog. I am constantly using odd
words and phrases and wondering where in the world they came
from and why. Here’s an interesting one, that is part of my
vocabulary. Scuttlebutt. No, it doesn’t have to do with a part
of your anatomy. It is a compound word formed from scuttle, “a
small opening or hatchway in the deck of a ship, furnished with
a lid” and butt “a large cask, especially for holding wine or water”.
So, a scuttlebutt was a cask used to carry a day’s worth of
drinking water aboard a ship, or, in more modern times, it is a
drinking fountain aboard a ship. The term scuttlebutt “gossip”
emerged as sailors would congregate around the scuttlebutt
and engage in friendly chat and gossip. I guess you could say
that blogging was a form of scuttlebutting, don’t you think?
And I think these handsome young sailors look dashing in their
hats, too!