scuttlebutt
/ˈskʌtlbʌt/noun
mass noun
- informal, chiefly US rumour; gossip〈非正式, 主美〉谣言; 流言飞语：
the scuttlebutt had it that he was a government spy.
流言说他是个政府间谍。
词源
early 19th cent. （denoting a water butt on the deck of a ship， providing drinking water）：from scuttled butt.