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Joined: May 14, 2002
Posts: 1322
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I've further researched it and that's The Grog Tub or Scuttlebutt...
The Grog Tub - Sailors had a way of embellishing their surroundings during their long stints at sea. The scuttled butt in Vernon’s orders was a simple cask with a lid. Soon after he issued his orders, the entire British Fleet adopted his procedures for watering the rum. Eventually, the scuttled butt gave way to the Grog Tub, an oak cask banded with polished brass or copper hoops and covered with a fancy lid. On the side of the cask were the brass letters THE KING GOD BLESS HIM, the daily toast at noon when the rum or grog were issued. The grog tub was naturally the daily gathering place. While the men stood in line for their grog, rumors were exchanged so that in time the word scuttlebutt became synonymous with the word gossip.
Pusser's Folklore
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