In my last post I discussed how some suffixes, such as -gate, have enjoyed great popularity in English, spawning dozens of new words to describe scandals or controversies (as in “bridgegate” or “deflategate”). In contrast, suffixes like -zilla are employed in narrow domains, such as in terms relating to matrimony (“bridezilla”).

A different suffix is frequently employed to label deceptive behaviors engaged in by corporations, politicians, and others. “-Washing” has been combined with an almost dizzying array of color terms to call out a host of problematic behaviors.

Although such terms are widely used online, only a few have become popular enough to be enshrined in the dictionary. Therefore, a primer for these colorful terms may prove useful.

The original -washing term is “whitewashing,” which can be defined as concealing faults or errors to create a semblance of virtuousness. First used in this way in the early 1700s, it is a metaphorical extension of the much earlier practice of using low-quality white paint or chalk to spruce up fences or walls. Just as the blemishes in wood or other surfaces can be covered up, so too can a person’s or an organization’s less attractive qualities through a good public relations campaign.

Whitewashing may have been the first term of this type, but it has been joined by many others. “Greenwashing,” for example, creates an illusion of........

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