Why scandals called gate

Something that tells readers, "some people are trying to make this a scandal, but we're not sure yet. There are countless partisan pseudo-scandals on both sides that could potentially lend their names, but one obvious choice is Benghazi. It's already being widely compared to the bridge closings both ironically and not see: Fox News , Karl Rove , Republicans , with many dubbing the controversy Bridgeghazi. The terrorist attack on the U.

The George Washington Bridge lane closings started as a "-ghazi" and then became a "-gate. Last year's IRS controversy, on the other hand, moved in the opposite direction.

It looks very bad at first, but as new data emerged , it was clear there was no real scandal and the media lost interest. Nonetheless, the alleged targeting of Tea Party nonprofit groups remains very much alive among conservatives it was huge shot in the arm to some groups.

It was a "-gate" and then became a "-ghazi. A "-gate" doesn't necessarily require high-profile scalps or big policy change, but it must be widely regarded as a scandal and be treated in the mainstream media as such.

Partisans, of course, will continue trying to turn "-ghazis" into "-gates" until RobotInsurrectiongate makes the issue moot sometime in the not-so-distant future. Log in Sign Up. More Words At Play. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Oct. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Nov.

Time Traveler. Love words? Need even more definitions? Ask the Editors 'Everyday' vs. Safire loved adding gate to everything. According to historians, the first post Watergate post-Watergategate?

In , the humor magazine National Lampoon this was in a harsh, primitive time when not only was there no Twitter, there was no Onion dubbed a fictional Russian scandal Volgagate.

And we were off and running. There's a special place in the Gate Hall of Fame for Troopergate. There have been three of them, revolving variously around Bill Clinton, Eliot Spitzer and Sarah Palin now there's a trifecta.

Probably the most adorable gate is Biscuitgate , a contretemps that exploded when British Prime Minister Gordon Brown wouldn't disclose what his favorite cookie was. Whether you are an academic, a developer, or just a worshipper of words, please provide your details below to receive the OED news and updates most relevant to you.

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