RUMOUR
ADJECTIVES
► BREME of a report or rumour: loudly or strongly current or prevalent, much spoken of → a1535 obs.
► RUMOROUS of the nature of rumour → 1913 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► RUNNING of a rumour, report, etc.: spreading rapidly; that is passed quickly from mouth to mouth → 1570
► WAFF of a story, report, or rumour: floating, general, of unspecified origin → 1753 Sc.
NOUNS
► BAGMAN’S GAZETTE a fictitious journal said to be the source of rumours → 1981 Aust. colloq. (Bk.)
► BALK a false rumour → 1859 Eng. dial. sl.
► BALLHOP a rumour, an unsupported theory; a lie → 1970s Irish sl.
► BLACK DISPATCH a rumour on which no reliance can be placed → 1892 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► BLUE DUCK a baseless rumour; a failure → 1981 Aust. colloq., chiefly military usage (Bk.)
► BREEZE rumour → 1892 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► BRUIT rumour → 1981 Aust. colloq., arch. (Bk.)
► BUSH TELEGRAPH bushrangers’ confederates who disseminate information as to the movements of the police; rapid spreading of information, or of a rumour, etc.; the ‘grapevine’ → 1878 Aust.
► BUZZ a busy rumour → 1612
► CAMP CHIN rumour → 1964 Amer. dial.
► CANARD an extravagant, or absurd story circulated to impose on people’s credulity; a rumour, hoax, a false report → 1864
► CLISH-MA-CLAVER idle or foolish talk; gossip; nonsense; false or scandalous reports, rumour → 1728 Sc.
► CLOTHESLINE rumour → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► COOK’S GALLEY YARN a rumour on which no reliance can be placed → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► CRY rumour, public report → 1569
► DAILY NEWS latrine rumours → Amer. World War I sl.
► DAME RUMOUR rumour → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► EVENING WHEEZE false news, rumours → L19 sl.
► FAKE a false rumour or false story of any kind; an invented newspaper story → 1851 sl., orig. criminals’ usage
► FAKELOO a false rumour or false story; a yarn intended to deceive → 1926 Amer. sl.
► FURPHY a false report or rumour; an absurd story → 1915 Aust. sl.
► GALLEY NEWS a rumour on which no reliance can be placed → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► GALLEY-PACKET a made-up story, a lie; an unfounded rumour → 1867
► GALLEY YARN a rumour on which no reliance can be placed; an incredible story → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► GRAPEVINE rumour → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► HEARING something heard; information, a report, rumour, news; something to talk about → a1300 Eng. dial.
► HEAR-TELL rumour → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► HE-SAY SHE-SAY gossip or rumour → 2008 African-American sl.
► JUNGLE TELEGRAPH a network of gossip and rumour that brings news before the official sources → 1940s sl.
► KAS-KAS rumour-mongering → 1950s W. Indies
► LATEST COOKHOUSE OFFICIAL a rumour on which no reliance can be placed → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► LATRINE RUMOUR startling news, almost always incorrect; any rumour, esp. one which is alleged to spread at the latrine→ Amer. World War I sl.
► LATRINE WIRELESS, THE a rumour → World War II Aust. army sl.
► LATRINO a ‘latrinogram’, ‘latrine rumour’; false news, a wild story → 1940 army officers’ sl.
► LATRINOGRAM ‘latrine rumour’; false news, a wild story → 1939 army officers’ sl.
► MAIL a rumour; a report; a racing tip; information on crime → 1960s Aust. sl.
► MULGA ► MULGA WIRE the bush telegraph; misleading information, rumour → 1899 Aust. sl.
► MURMUR a rumour → a1522
► MURMURATION rumouring; a spreading a rumour → c1485 Sc. obs.
► NIGGERGRAM a stupid rumour, demeaning gossip → 1961 W. Indies sl., offensive
► NIGGER-MOUTH stupid rumour, demeaning gossip → 1961 W. Indies sl., offensive
► NOISE rumour → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► NORATION an announcement, rumour, or a long, rambling account → 1853 Amer. dial.
► OPINION report, rumour → c1380 obs.
► RANDERS idle or incoherent talk; idle rumours → 1905 Sc. (Bk.)
► RAVE a vague report, an uncertain rumour; a story which is not very credible → 1882 Sc.
► REVERIE a vague report, a rumour → 1787 Sc.
► ROAD TALK gossip, a rumour → 1982 Bahamas
► ROORBACK a defamatory rumour circulated before an election → 1892 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► RUMIGERATION a spreading a rumour or report abroad; a carrying tales → 19C
► SAY-SO rumour → 1892 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► SCAM misleading information, rumour → 1972 sl.
► SCUTTER gossip, rumour → 1970 US students’ sl. (Bk.)
► SCUTTLEBUTT misleading information, rumour → 1901 sl., orig. US
► SKEALT story, talk, rumour → c1580 obs.
► SKINDER ► SKINNER gossip, slanderous rumour → 1979 S. Afr.
► SKINNY the latest information; inside information; rumour or fact → 1959 US sl.
► SOUND n. fame or knowledge, report or rumour, news or tidings → 1413 obs.
► VCR a Vicious Campus Rumour → 1966 US students’ sl. (Bk.)
► WHISPER a rumour → 1596 UK sl.
► WIRE a rumour, gossip → 1977 US sl.
► WORD, THE gossip, rumours → 1961 US sl.
► YEHUDI a rumour → 1942 US sl. (Bk.)
NOUNS – PERSON
► BALLHOPPER one who is deliberately deceptive or tells fabrications’ a rumour-monger → 1972 Irish sl.
► BLACK EAGLE, THE the guy you get all your confidential latrine rumours from → 1944 services’ sl. (Bk.)
► DOPE HEAD one given to spreading false information and rumours → World War II Amer. sl.
► GASHMU a boy who was found guilty of initiating or spreading a false report concerning any of his schoolmates → 1910 Sc. obs.
► GAZETTE a newsmonger; one who spreads rumours → 1702
► MUSTERER a person who whispers; a rumour-monger; a talebearer → c1450 obs.
► SCANDAL-MONGER a person who spreads scandal or gossip; one who spreads defamatory reports or rumours concerning the character or reputation of others → 1721
► SCLAIVER a gossip, a rumour-monger, a slanderer → 1920 Sc.
► SOWER a person who spreads abroad or disseminates something, esp. what is obnoxious or objectionable; a promoter of discord, sedition, etc. → 1380
► TALK OF THE TOWN one who is the subject of gossip or rumour → 1988 Aust. sl. (Bk.)
► TUTIVILLUS a person who gossips, spreads rumour, or tells tales; a tattler → 1523 obs.
► TWIT a person who spreads rumour or gossip, or who reports others’ wrongdoings; a telltale → 1720
PHRASES
► IN THE WIND circulating as a rumour → 1984 Aust. colloq. (Bk.)
VERBS
► BLART to let out a secret; to spread abroad news or scandal → 1898 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► BLAZE to vilify, to calumniate; to spread rumours → 1911 Sc. (Bk.)
► BRING A BONE to spread a rumour or story → c1965 Amer. dial.
► BUZZ to spread as a rumour, with whispering or busy talk → 1616
► CARRY A BONE to spread a rumour or story → 1912 Amer. dial.
► EARWIG to gossip, esp. maliciously; to feed another with unpleasant rumours → 19C sl.
► MONG to spread gossip, rumours, etc. → a1250 obs.
► MURMUR to whisper a rumour, etc. → c1460 obs.
► NORATE to rumour, to report; to advertise; to spread by word of mouth → 1851 Amer. dial.
► NOSE AROUND to spread rumours, to gossip about → 1971 sl.
► QUICK of a rumour: to arise, to spread → c1425 obs.
► RAISE THE WIND to create a rumour; to make up stories → L19 sl.
► RAVE to rake up a story against anyone → 1847 Eng. dial.
► REEVE to rumour → 1874 Sc. obs.
► RUMIFORATE to rumour; to spread about by report → 19C
► SCLAVE to spread a story though gossip or tittle-tattle; to rumour-monger; spec. of malicious rumours, to slander, to defame, to calumniate → 1825 Sc.
► SKAIL to spread a rumour, tale, etc. → 1375 obs.
► SPRING to spread; to become known; said of fame, news, a rumour, etc. → a1000 obs.
► TWIT to reveal something by indiscreet talk; to spread gossip or rumour → a1643 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
► TWITTLE to spread gossip or rumour; to tattle → 1551 obs.
Lexicophilia 