Where does the "-gate" label come from (in scandals)?

Question

Why when they discover a tape recording of some kind of evidence (usually scandal) do they call it "[something]gate"? Like "Camillagate"?

Answer 1

From the original Watergate scandal (the break-in at DNC headquarters in the Watergate complex that ultimately led to the downfall of Richard Nixon). Since then everything's been gate.

Answer 2

The term "Watergate" refers to a series of events, spanning from 1972 to 1975, that began with U.S. President Nixon's administration's abuse of power toward the goal of undermining the Democratic Party and the opposition to the Vietnam War. The events got their name from burglaries of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate Hotel complex in Washington, D.C.. Though Nixon had endured two years of mounting political embarrassments, the court-ordered release of the "smoking gun tape" about the burglaries in August 1974 brought with it the prospect of certain impeachment for Nixon, and he resigned only four days later on August 9. He was the first, and as of yet only, U.S. president to resign from office.
Since then the suffix gate was added to most scandals so people can understand it is a scandal

Answer 3

Origonally, the '-gate' was Watergate when a gang of burglars were discovered in the Democratic Party HQ in Washington in 1972 (?), and these were eventually traced directly back to (sources close to?) President Nixon (a Republican), who was forced to resign as a result. This was a hugely important event and undermined the legitimacy, arguably, of the entire electoral process in the USA

For an excellent and detailed account, All the President's Men is an excellent film, based on the book by Carl Bernstein, one of the reporters working for the Washington Post who uncovered the scandal.

Answer 4

The original "x-gate" was "Watergate" as in the Nixon scandal. As I recall, Watergate was the name of the hotel where the break-in (or the illegal taping, or some part of the scandal) occurred, so "gate" was never a term meaning "scandal" or some such, it has simply come to mean that

Answer 5

It goes back to US President Nixon and the Watergate scandal which led to his eventual impeachment. Most of the evidence was on tape recordings made in the White-house, telephone conversations, meetings etc. Many of these tapes were destroyed on the orders of Nixon or his senior government aides in order to impede the investigation into his electoral malpractices.

Answer 6

This came from the Watergate scandal involving Richard Nixon

Answer 7

The "-gate" label comes from the old Watergate scandals:

The term "Watergate" refers to a series of events, spanning from 1972 to 1975, that began with U.S. President Nixon's administration's abuse of power toward the goal of undermining the Democratic Party and the opposition to the Vietnam War. The events got their name from burglaries of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate Hotel complex in Washington, D.C.

Answer 8

Used as a suffix to refer to a scandal deriving itself from the Watergate scandal, application includes; Baftagate and Monicagate.

The term "Watergate" refers to a series of events, spanning from 1972 to 1975, that began with U.S. President Nixon's administration's abuse of power toward the goal of undermining the Democratic Party and the opposition to the Vietnam War

Answer 9

The Watergate hotel was the first president authorized break in or underhanded dealing that the president got busted for. Hence anytime there is any kind of scandal at a high level in government there is a chance to label it ___gate.

Answer 10

It comes from the scandal which toppled President Nixon back in the 1980's the name of the offices/building where the scandal was revealed was called Watergate.