‘Breeze’ is identified as a word for ‘rumor.’ A bit of poking around revealed to me that ‘breeze’ as a slang word for ‘rumor’ (or even scandal) entered the lexicon in the late 19th century and actually took on the meaning in the U.S. of ‘empty chatter’ in the 1910s and was eventually incorporated into several breeze-related expressions. SHOOT THE BREEZE: [phrase “1940s” and still in use] (originally U.S.) to gossip to talk idly (cf. ‘back the breeze’). [Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang] SHOOT THE BREEZE (or THE FAT) verb phrase by 1941 [[note the use of the ever so safe weasel word ‘by’]]. To chat amiably and casually ; = ‘chew the fat’. . . . . [Chapman’s Dictionary of American Slang] SHOOT THE BREEZE or THE BULL, TO: To chat idly; to gossip. A ‘breeze’ is a rumor, which is wafted from one person to another, as when one ‘gets wind of’ something. ‘Bull’ is short for ‘bullshit.’ The phrases are of American origin and date from the early 20th century. [Brewer’s Dictionary of Phras...