Gubernatorial season

Gubernatorial. Now there’s classic journalese. And during these primary election times, it’s all over the printed media. But have you ever heard anyone say the word, “gubernatorial”? I doubt it. It’s reserved journalese for a governor’s election campaign or contest. Our dictionary definition quotes a 2001 column by Richard Dudman in the Bangor Daily News, pointing out that the word, to him, always sounded like “peanuts in a swimming pool.”

Our in-house Latin scholar, Monika, points out that the word is perfectly OK, coming from Late Latin, gubernatorius, and Latin, gubenator, Governor. Now you know.

File under: Pass the goobers and have a beer.

www.JournaleseDictionary.com