The "Stuck on Stupid" Dictionary #32

I know that it has been far too long since proper additions to this reference tome have been made, but it appears that the lexicographers in charge of such work managed to conceal the only complete copy of this work in a misguided attempt to get away with what amounts to little more than a case of criminal laziness. While the staff disciplinarian here at Just Blowing Smoke continues to occasionally beat the wretches until morale improves, these 'enthusiasm enhancing episodes' appear to do have little impact on either the quantity or the quality of their efforts.  (Personally, I just think they're jealous of the Cheetos that we supply to the DJBSS in their attic Command Center.)  Senior staff will continue to search for new ways to 'inspire' greater output.

Now for those of you who have somehow managed to miss previous postings in this area (shame on you, now go back and read all of the postings under the label of dictionary), the SOS dictionary is a reference guide to terms which nominally mean something to the rest of the English speaking world, but appear to mean something entirely different to those us who have come to understand the often peculiar vernacular of politics in Toledo, Northwest Ohio, and sometimes the nation as a whole.

... gate:

1.  A movable barrier, sometimes on hinges, used to provide access to an area protected by a fence or wall.

2.  A combining form which, when attached to the end of another word, depicts a scandal having to do with that original word; normally used by the mainstream media for no better reason than their own laziness and lack of creativity.

(Few if any remember that the original use of such intellectual shortcuts came from the Watergate scandal in 1972, which was not in fact a scandal about 'Water', but was the name of the Washington DC office complex in which a politically motivated break-in was committed by members of the Nixon re-election campaign team at the Democratic National Headquarters.)


... ocracy:

1.  From the Greek 'kratia' - meaning strength or to rule (govern)

2.  A combining form used to designate the group of people given the power to govern.  Examples of such types of rule are:  Aristocracy (an elite group), Meritocracy (a group of those with special or superior ability), Mediocracy (a group with no special ability), Bureaucracy (a group with the ability to find non-elected government jobs - see Mediocracy) Democracy - (a group which has the ability to vote ... in this country, normally a very small group).

3. A sub-category of the combining form where terms are created to be used as an effective insult to define those currently attempting (and usually failing miserably) to govern.  Examples of such types of rule are:  Ineptocracy (a group of people with no special ability except that to fail), Idiocracy (a group of those considered Idiots, but not Village Idiots ), Kakocracy (a group of people considered 'natural fertilizer'), Congress (while not ostensibly ending in 'ocracy', a nevertheless effective comparison when using the standard set out in #3)