LETTER: Media’s continued misuse of ‘-gate’

To the editor:
   About four decades ago, in consequence to the Watergate scandal, President Richard Nixon became the first and only U.S. President to resign from office. This political scandal gained its name from illegal activities that took place within the Watergate hotel in Washington, D.C. For some reason, it seems that “-gate” has become the go-to suffix by which we suggest political scandal.
   Gate is a meaningless term, unfortunately too often associated in society with unethical politics and cover-ups. When referring to a cover-up or malpractice, appending the suffix “-gate” to suggest unethical behavior is extremely clichéd and nonsensical.
   This misusage has even spread into other languages and cultures outside of United States. Reports of “-gate” being used to refer to political scandals have been found in countries like Argentina, Germany, Hungary, Greece and the former Yugoslavia.
   The suffix was never meant to mean anything other than its dictionary definition and the suffix in the Washington hotel’s name. The “-gate” in Watergate wasn’t a suffix suggesting foul play, rather it was plainly a building’s name where incompetent thieves were caught stealing.
   After the burglars were caught, one William Safire, a New York Times columnist, particularly pushed this misusage onto the public. At the time, Watergate was a relevant topic in the public’s mind, so he utilized the word as a memorable way to suggest any political scandal.
   More recently, Governor Chris Christie has been enveloped in a scandal nicknamed “Bridgegate.” Gov. Christie’s aides caused a horrendous traffic jam on the George Washington Bridge in revenge against Fort Lee’s mayor. Mass media quickly acted, naming the scandal Bridgegate. “–Gate” is memorable — people remember the negative connotation associated with the word -gate from the Watergate scandal in 1973.
   With modern media endorsing this meaningless term, both -gate and scandal are unfortunately becoming interchangeable in their implications.
Grant Brazer
Hillsborough