"Scuttlebutt" was actually the ancestor of office "water cooler gossip". On sailing ships, water for the crew was dolled out from a barrel with a hole or tap in it (a "Butt" being a barrel of around 120 gals and a "Scuttle" was a hole). Just as with the water cooler, it was a logical place to exchange gossip with your coworkers. The scuttlebutt pictured is from the USS Constitution which is naturally the oldest commissioned United States Navy Warship. In Fact water fountains are still called scuttlebutts aboard Navy ships to this day. You Can Thank Me Later |
It's now a bit later. Thank you. :)
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