The Watergate Scandal, that toppled Nixon, created a precedent jokey headline writers were quick to employ. So everything got the suffix -gate after a major political controversy.
“Watergate” was the name of a building (or group of buildings), and President Nixon ordered people to break in and plant listening devices. This became a huge scandal, called the Watergate scandal.
It thus became a joke to stick “gate” on the end of every scandal, in a flippant and half-joking manner; like pizzagate, signalgate, etc.
It comes from the Watergate scandal in the 1970s. Watergate was the name of a hotel in Washington, D.C. where a break-in happened that led to a huge political scandal involving President Nixon. After that, people started adding “-gate” to other scandals kind of as a joke or shorthand to show it’s a big deal or a cover-up. It just stuck.
Watergate referred to the scandal in the 1970s that involved operatives of Richard Nixons campaign team breaking into the Democratic national committee headquarters in the Watergate hotel to plant listening devices, and Nixon’s involvement in trying to cover it up. So now everything that’s seemingly a large scandal got gate added to it, even though the political climate in the US has changed so drastically a president wouldn’t have to resign over a scandal like Watergate.
The original -gate scandal was the Watergate scandal, named because Richard Nixon’s re-election campaign broke into the DNC headquarters in the Watergate hotel. The naming scheme was promoted by William Safire, a political journalist who previously worked as for Nixon as a speechwriter, possibly in an attempt to minimise the Watergate scandal.
Dianagate and Camilla gate were a couple of royal scandals in the early 90s that took it too far. Irangate and Contragate around the same time meant it was peak gate.
It’s just due to the Watergate scandal which was just the name of the place. It was a major scandal that shifted public perception irreparably. Of course it came after a long list of reasons why people were losing faith in their government from the peak right after WW2 up until Nixon being disgraced.
So yeah no other reason. Watergate was huge in its day and ever since scandals are given this suffix.
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because there was a big one in the Watergate hotel in DC.
Aaaaand that is the entire reason. That and it sounds cool, like a dam breaking on some news.
Because of the Richard Nixon ‘Watergate’ scandal that happened at the Watergate Hotel
The Watergate Scandal, that toppled Nixon, created a precedent jokey headline writers were quick to employ. So everything got the suffix -gate after a major political controversy.
“Watergate” was the name of a building (or group of buildings), and President Nixon ordered people to break in and plant listening devices. This became a huge scandal, called the Watergate scandal.
It thus became a joke to stick “gate” on the end of every scandal, in a flippant and half-joking manner; like pizzagate, signalgate, etc.
It comes from the Watergate scandal in the 1970s. Watergate was the name of a hotel in Washington, D.C. where a break-in happened that led to a huge political scandal involving President Nixon. After that, people started adding “-gate” to other scandals kind of as a joke or shorthand to show it’s a big deal or a cover-up. It just stuck.
Watergate referred to the scandal in the 1970s that involved operatives of Richard Nixons campaign team breaking into the Democratic national committee headquarters in the Watergate hotel to plant listening devices, and Nixon’s involvement in trying to cover it up. So now everything that’s seemingly a large scandal got gate added to it, even though the political climate in the US has changed so drastically a president wouldn’t have to resign over a scandal like Watergate.
The original -gate scandal was the Watergate scandal, named because Richard Nixon’s re-election campaign broke into the DNC headquarters in the Watergate hotel. The naming scheme was promoted by William Safire, a political journalist who previously worked as for Nixon as a speechwriter, possibly in an attempt to minimise the Watergate scandal.
It’s because of Watergategate – the scandal over the Watergate hotel incident.
I think this conversation should have it all wrapped up for you.
https://youtu.be/vB9JgxhXW5w?si=QiLX9x939UivQDEU
Why does Google exist? It’s clearly redundant when you have reddit to ask.
Dianagate and Camilla gate were a couple of royal scandals in the early 90s that took it too far. Irangate and Contragate around the same time meant it was peak gate.
https://youtu.be/vB9JgxhXW5w
Here’s a great breakdown of the -gate suffix
They don’t teach this in school anymore? Not judging…genuine question.
It’s just due to the Watergate scandal which was just the name of the place. It was a major scandal that shifted public perception irreparably. Of course it came after a long list of reasons why people were losing faith in their government from the peak right after WW2 up until Nixon being disgraced.
So yeah no other reason. Watergate was huge in its day and ever since scandals are given this suffix.