Results: Every Scandal is a Gate
Published on 02/08/2015
QUESTIONS
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1.
1.
Anyone who follows the NFL knows about the New England Patriots using under-inflated footballs in the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts. This scandal is often referred to as deflategate. Have you heard the term deflategate before today? Yes
43%
678 votes
No
40%
630 votes
Undecided
4%
58 votes
Not Applicable
12%
195 votes
2.
2.
Appending the word "gate" to another word or a name to refer to a scandal dates back to the Watergate scandal. The Watergate scandal involved the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in June 1972. The break-in and subsequent cover-up led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974. Journalists began referring to scandals using the suffix "gate" at this time, and the practice continues to this day. Were you aware of the connection of the "gate" suffix to the Watergate scandal? Yes, and I'm old enough to remember Watergate.
37%
579 votes
Yes, and I'm too young to remember Watergate.
17%
271 votes
No, and I'm over 40 and live in the US.
7%
105 votes
No, and I'm under 40 and live in the US.
6%
92 votes
No, and I don't live in the US.
10%
155 votes
Undecided
6%
87 votes
N/A
17%
272 votes
3.
3.
Scandals of any size and about any topic are routinely referred to as "gates". Here are just a few examples. Which of these "gate" terms have you heard about before today? Monicagate - President Bill Clinton's sex scandal with intern Monica Lewinsky.
42%
650 votes
Camillagate - Prince Charles's intimate conversations with then mistress Camilla Parker Bowles.
26%
402 votes
Nipplegate - Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl XXXVII halftime show.
33%
514 votes
Weinergate - New York Congressman Anthony Weiner tweets photos of his, uh, weiner.
26%
413 votes
Climategate - Controversy involving hacked emails at the Univerity of East Anglia and possible manipulation of climate change data.
9%
133 votes
None of these
29%
448 votes
N/A
19%
295 votes
4.
4.
What do you think of using the "gate" suffix to designate a scandal? It's way too overused and time to discontinue the practice.
21%
329 votes
I wouldn't mind if it was reserved for scandals on the level of the resignation of an American president.
9%
145 votes
Everything is abbreviated these days, using this shorthand is fine with me.
12%
195 votes
Don't care.
37%
570 votes
N/A
20%
317 votes
Other (please specify)
0%
5 votes
| Other Answers | Percentage | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| 0.13% | 2 | |
| annoying | 0.06% | 1 |
| if the gate suffix had some etymology that would be explained to me, i would like it, but i think it's odd otherwise. | 0.06% | 1 |
| dumb | 0.06% | 1 |
5.
5.
It's been over 40 years since Watergate. Do you think we'll still be calling scandals "gates" 40 years from now? Yes
33%
520 votes
No
15%
227 votes
Undecided
33%
519 votes
Not Applicable
19%
295 votes
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