I was listening to the song “Waterloo” by Stonewall Jackson. (The country singer, not the Confederate General, who met his own Waterloo at the Battle of Chancellorsville.) The song gives “Waltzing Matilda” a run for its money in terms of lyrical quality. Witness:
Little Gen’ral–Napoleon of France– Tried to conquer the world, but lost his pants.
The point of the song is that “everybody has to meet his Waterloo”. For some reason, the thought popped into my head that Nixon met his Waterloo at Watergate. And then I thought about the phenomenon I have complained about before: referring to every scandal that happens along as “[whatever]-gate”. So, by that logic, shouldn’t we start referring to all crushing defeats as “[whatever]-loo”? For example:
No, you say? That sounds stupid, you say? My point exactly.
UPDATE: In the comments, reader P.M. Prescott informs me that this actually happened.