GUBU

adj. grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre, unprecedented; (hence) disreputable or scandalous. Also n. and attrib. Subjects: English, Ireland, United Kingdom, Politics, Acronym

Etymological Note: The acronym was coined in 1983, based on words spoken by Irish Prime Minister Charles Haughey in 1982, by journalist Conor Cruise O’Brien, who also spared little effort in popularizing it. Originally referring to scandals originating related to the Haughey government, it has since—much like the American Watergate—become a more general term for scandal or political disrepute.

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Citations: 1987 Hugh Carnegy Financial Times (Jan. 26) “Unsinkable Haughey Has Power In His Sights” p. 2: Sometimes labelled the “GUBU” Government, for “grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre, unprecedented” after words Mr Haughey himself used about one incident, the events were remarkable by any standard. 1989 Conor Cruise O'Brien The Times (London, Eng.) (May 30) “Power that must be denied”: Gubu happens to be my personal contribution to the political lexicon of the contemporary Republic. 1992 Maol Muire Tynan Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland) (July 18) “Reynolds sends the message by Carr” p. 5: In the GUBU days of Fianna Fail, however the company was called upon once more and Mr Savage subsequently made contact with Albert Reynolds and Padraig Flynn. 1996 Rory Godson, John Burns Sunday Times (London, Eng.) (Dec. 8) “The Dunne thing”: It was always unlikely that Haughey, who survived the arms trial, allegations about land deals in north Dublin and the GUBU saga was going to be tripped up at the age of 71. 1999 David Quinn Sunday Times (London, Eng.) (Dec. 5) “The last thing mothers need are Lord Kitchener’s marching orders”: Everyone from hardline feminists to dyed-in-the-wool conservatives hate what he has done. He has achieved a double distinction by producing an unpopular budget on the back of an enormous budget surplus. Why does the word Gubu spring to mind? 2003 John Mulcahy Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland) (July 17) “Nation of property addicts who just want more and more” p. 52: Irish people have a confused, contradictory, even GUBU attitude to property. 2003 Denis Coghlan Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland) (Oct. 25) “An Irishman’s Diary” p. 15: My youth was spent in an English hospital, receiving treatment for scoliosis, which also caused spinal curvature. So we were both, as far as Haughey hard-liners were concerned, twisted. But to suggest this was a voluntary effort on my part was a GUBU notion in keeping with the times. 2003 Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland) (Oct. 25) “A sinking feeling as North deal falls at the final fence” p. 13: It has been an annus horribilis for the Prime Minister. The combination of an unpopular war in Iraq, which split his cabinet and his party, and the GUBU nature of the David Kelly affair, not to mention the Hutton Inquiry exposures, have taken their toll on his trademark bounce. 2004 Willie Kealy, Jim Cusack Sunday Independent (Ireland) (July 18) “No More Politics In Garda Jobs”: The systemic problems in the Garda management were not confined to its operations in Donegal, Mr McDowell said, reiterating his GUBU-esque description of recent events as: “Frightening, unprecedented, egregious and devastating.” 2004 Tommy Conlon Sunday Independent (Ireland) (Nov. 7) “A heist, a con-job and conspiracy theories galore”: The story took another twist and headed straight for GUBU country. Between 6pm Monday night and 7.15am Tuesday morning someone broke into the offices of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland and stole a file on O’Connor’s number two horse. 2004 IrelandOn-Line (Nov. 10) “Detective admits ‘Gubu’ elements in murder probe”: Conor Cruise O’Brien coined the Gubu acronym in 1983 after former Taoiseach Haughey referred to the discovery of serial killer Malcolm MacArthur in the flat of Government Attorney General Patrick Connolly as “grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented.”

Posted 19 Nov 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend