A radio talkback caller asked me recently about this word ‘gubernatorial.’
It is a word that relates to a ‘governor’ (that’s what the word means) or to governorship or an election to the position of governor.
As the Oxford observes this is ‘originally and chiefly American’—and it’s certainly not a word we would be likely to use in Australia.
It comes from the classical Latin word gubernātor which meant a ruler or governor.
The Americans seem to have a liking for highly Latinate words for some reason (perhaps it makes them sound more important?)
The result is that any electoral race for the governorship of any American state is bound to be referred to (in the American media) as a ‘gubernatorial race.’
As it happens, there will be a number of these ‘gubernatorial races’ happening during the Mid-Term elections in the US in November of this year.
And one of these ‘gubernatorial elections’ is a bit unusual this year.
Oregon has an unconventional candidate this year: an anthropomorphic pencil.
The unlikely contender, who simply goes by the name “Pencil,” campaigns in a bright yellow pencil costume.
He is running as a write-in candidate to draw attention to the state’s education crisis.
Pencil has made Oregon’s low fourth-grade literacy rate a central focus of his campaign.
There used to be a similarly colourful candidate who ran in Australian senate elections.
He ran under the name of ‘Ivor F’ (just a final initial, no surname) and he ran on a platform of spelling reform.
Britain also had a perennial parliamentary candidate called Screaming Lord Sutch (born David Sutch, 1940-1999).
He was the founder of the Monster Raving Loony Party (not to be confused with the Labor Party—despite any perceived similarities!)
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BY THE WAY...
If you'd like to see my A-Z list of Aussie slang, you'll find it here in the Australian Geographic website -- A-Z list of Aussie slang. Here’s the link: The A-Z of Aussie slang - Australian Geographic
The liveliest part of this website is usually the Q and A page -- be sure to check it out from time to time.
