Ponytailgate

P3O1N1Y4T1A1I1L1G2A1T1E1

proper noun

A 2015 controversy around the alleged pulling of the hair of a young waitress by New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key.

Scrabble 18
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. informalA 2015 controversy around the alleged pulling of the hair of a young waitress by New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key.

    Teflon John's approval rating in the wake of what came to be known as 'Ponytailgate' actually increased.

    2021, Supriya Vani, Carl A. Harte, Jacinda Ardern: Leading with Empathy

Origin

From ponytail + -gate.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Ponytailgate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ponytailgate

MLA

“Ponytailgate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ponytailgate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Ponytailgate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ponytailgate.

Source: Ponytailgate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.