Thursday, March 22, 2007
Scuttling
Up and down the stairs, in and out, yikes. Question: If you scuttle up and down stairs and across lobbies on your butt, are you a scuttlebutt? What is the origin of that word?
So I look it up on the web and find a bunch of interesting word detective sites. The consensus seems to be that it's 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.'
Therefore, 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 or naval/marine installation.
The term scuttlebutt `gossip' emerged as sailors would congregate around the scuttlebutt and engage in friendly chat and gossip.
So how does a crab "scuttle"
I'll dig into this pressing question tomorrow between hopping and crutching.
In sympathy with my scuttling, a reader sends this picture of HIS stressful day!
So I look it up on the web and find a bunch of interesting word detective sites. The consensus seems to be that it's 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.'
Therefore, 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 or naval/marine installation.
The term scuttlebutt `gossip' emerged as sailors would congregate around the scuttlebutt and engage in friendly chat and gossip.
So how does a crab "scuttle"
I'll dig into this pressing question tomorrow between hopping and crutching.
In sympathy with my scuttling, a reader sends this picture of HIS stressful day!
