Shut the gate!

In June 1972, five men were arrested while breaking into the offices of the Democratic National Committee, located in the Watergate complex, Washington D.C.

The arrests were the catalyst for the resignation of President Richard Nixon, and the events surrounding the break-in became known as the Watergate scandal.

Clearly, the scandal is named after the building where the break-in occurred.

This fact seems to be lost on generations of journalists, who add the suffix "-gate" to any scandal.

Squidgeygate, Teamstergate, Debategate, Smeargate, Officegate, Monklandsgate, Rinkagate...

The latest deployment of the "-gate" suffix is a sporting scandal, involving Harlequins winger Tom Williams.

The Rugby Union player faked an injury last year in order to ensure he was subsisted and a specialist kicker allowed onto the field during the closing minutes of a tied game.

Dr Wendy Chapman, of Maidstone Hospital in Kent, has admitted cutting the lip of Williams to make his injury appear more authentic.

Suspended from her job last September, she is currently appearing before the General Medical Council, hence why this scandal from 2009 is in the news, and the tired old suffix "-gate" is trotted out yet again.

It would be nice if journalists had some more originality, but it looks as if "Bloodgate" will be used in the headline of every reference to the scandal.

If you want to know more about the Watergate scandal and Nixon's America, I recommend reading Strange Days Indeed by the wonderful Francis Wheen.