Anntenna-Gate, Water-gate, Nipple-gate

Jay794 · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:31

Whats the deal with adding the word gate to stuff?

What does the word "gate" e.g. something to allow/block access to a field/driveway/car park have to do with ANYTHING?!

I've heard of watergate and I thought it was a place, but why does everything else have to be called "gate" too?

Explain....

randal · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:33

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gate_(disambiguation)

As a suffix

List of scandals with "-gate" suffix, common suffix for a public scandal, alluding to the Watergate scandal

Jono8 · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:33

i agree. I hate it. I don't know why but i just hate it.

orderoftheflame · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:34

It comes from the Watergate scandal, where the Watergate office complex was involved.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal

Jay794 · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:34

I get that but why is it applied to EVERYTHING else since watergate?

I haven't heard of UK-AUGUST-RIOT-GATE yet though

Greebo · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:34

Watergate was a murky secret which brought down a president. Anything nowadays concerning dirty secrets of powerful people/institutions gets tagged with the -gate bit.

Jay794 · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:36

Right, but why Anntenna-gate? why not just "anntenna problem"?

panyan · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:37

there is a new one around... wooden-gate...

orderoftheflame · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:38

Jay794 said:
I get that but why is it applied to EVERYTHING else since watergate?

I haven't heard of UK-AUGUST-RIOT-GATE yet though

It's applied to supposed scandals, not just any old bit of news.

Greebo · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:39

Jay794 said:
Right, but why Anntenna-gate? why not just "anntenna problem"?

tbh it should never have been tagged with gate as it didn't justify it. After all, it was never some big cover up by Apple, was it?

Cosimo · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:42

Jay794 said:
Right, but why Anntenna-gate? why not just "anntenna problem"?

It makes a scandal/controversy sound much juicier than if you used the word "problem". You’ll notice and read an article suffixed with "gate" and just dismiss one with "problem".

alex24 · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:44

It's from watergate-gate.

Cosimo · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:48

alex24 said:
It's from watergate-gate.

Looks like this is turning into thread-gate.

pingwing · 9 Jan 2012 at 17:57

G-MAN2004 · 9 Jan 2012 at 18:03

Just wait until we have Gate-gate.

Shayper · 9 Jan 2012 at 18:17

It is incredibly annoying.

Greebo · 9 Jan 2012 at 18:23

I'm waiting for ocukgate (or dongate or mohgate)

EDDS · 9 Jan 2012 at 19:00

I can't wait for Bill Gate.....(s)

paddy · 9 Jan 2012 at 19:00

"OCUk brought down by Pan-Gate"

Haircut · 9 Jan 2012 at 19:02

The same reason a chocoholic is not someone who has an addition to chocohol.