scuttlebutt

scuttle,凿孔，开孔，butt,酒桶，水桶，词源同 bottle.字面意思为饮水桶，原为航海俚语，指 船员聚集在船舱甲板饮水桶处闲聊，引申词义流言蜚语，谣言等。

scuttlebutt (n.)

1805, "cask of drinking water kept on a ship's deck, having a hole (scuttle) cut in it for a cup or dipper," from scuttle "opening in a ship's deck" (see scuttle (v.2)) + butt (n.2) "barrel." Earlier scuttle cask (1777). Meaning "rumor, gossip" first recorded 1901, originally nautical slang, traditionally said to be from the sailors' custom of gathering around the scuttlebutt to gossip. Compare water-cooler, figurative for "workplace gossip" mid-20c.

1. All this scuttlebutt was laughed off as nonsense.

这些小道消息被当做一派胡言.