Idioms "scuttlebutt" and "under the weather" come from 18th-century seafaring

The scuttlebutt was originally a barrel filled with water located in the middle of the ship. It was a sort of “water cooler” where sailors would grab their water rations and gossip. So, the meaning of “scuttlebutt” as “gossip” was born. When a sailor became ill, he’d have to stay below deck, so he was “under the...