World News Isue

[Alexandra]

I am well aware of the hotel name of Watergate and of the relevant event. Why is the 'gate' suffix added to these other issues ?Five toze. I was born in 1957 mate and was at Woodstock 1969 with two older musician cousins and an uncle. Not an answer.

[Pablo Rafael]

The incident at the Watergate Hotel was the biggest scandal in US governmental history. "...gate" has become something to indicate a large scale scandal in a government or corporation where the corruption goes clear to the top.

It is sort of like adding "Mc..." (in reference to McDonalds) to the beginning of any word to give the meaning that it is cheap, American, mass produced and tasteless.