The Associated Press published a mid-term election style guide on Friday, and it includes a list of election cliches with suggested alternatives.
For instance, instead of messaging, use “candidate’s pitch to voters.” Instead of horse race, use “a closely contested political contest.” And instead of war chest or coffers use “campaign bank account or stockpile of money.”
There are more cliches to avoid, plus style tips on common terms you may be using next week. Conservative and liberal, for instance, don’t get capped unless you’re talking about a formal name.
Here are a few things we’ve done on cliches at Poynter:
— Why newspaper photo cliches make for great Tumblrs