AA:I'mAviArdittiwithRosanneSkirble, andthisweekonWORDMASTER: dictionaryeditorBenZimmerexplainstermsfromtheU.S. presidentialcampaign.

RS:Westartwith"battlegroundstate" and"swingstate."

BenZimmer

BENZIMMER:"Well, they'reusuallyusedprettyinterchangeably. Theyarestateswherewedon'twhethertheywillgofortheRepublicanticketortheDemocraticticket, andthat'swheretheelectionwillbedecided."

RS:"SotheswingstatesorthebattlegroundstateswouldbeMichigan. Ohio... "

AA:"Ohio. Pennsylvania, wehearalot."

RS:"Florida."

BENZIMMER:"That'sright, andthosearethestatesthathavebeenreallycrucialinthepastfewpresidentialelections. Onewaythatpeoplehavebeentalkingaboutitinthepastfewelectionsisintermsofcolor. Thereareredstates, whichareassumedtogofortheRepublicans, bluestatesfortheDemocrats, andtheonesthatwe'renotsureof, peoplecallpurplestates.

"Thetelevisionnetworksactuallysetupasystemofcolor-codingsothattherewouldbenofavoritism. Theywouldactuallyswitchthecolorsblueandredbasedontheincumbentparty. So, forinstance, intwothousandtheincumbentpartywasDemocraticandthatcolorwasblue.

"IntwothousandfourtheincumbentpartywasRepublicanandtheyswitchedthecolor-codingsothattheincumbentshadred. ButthatmeantthattheDemocratswereblueagain.

"Thesystemwassupposedtoswitchoveragainthisyear, butitlookslikethey'rejustgoingtoholdontothat. Otherwiseitwouldjustbeveryconfusingforpeople, becausethat'stheassociationeverybodyhasnow."

RS:"Andit'sgoodthatit'snotontheballot."

BENZIMMER:"That'strue. I'mcolorblind, soIwouldhavearealproblemwiththatiftheystartedusingcolorsontheballot."

RS:"Speakingofballots, what'sanabsenteeballot? We'rehearingalotaboutthattoo."

BENZIMMER:"Thisisactuallybecomingaverywidespreadphenomenonnow. Alotofstatesareencouragingpeopletovoteaheadoftime. Theydon'taskyouwhyanymore. Theyjustsaygoahead, doitbymail. AndthisisseenasawaytoincreasevoterparticipationforpeoplewhomighthaveaproblemgettingouttothepollsonElectionDay.

"Butit'salsochangingthingsquitealotbecauselargenumbersofpeoplearevotingbymailwellbeforeElectionDay. Andsothewholedynamicsofthekindofendgameoftheelectioncouldbeverydifferentbecausepeoplearevotingmuchearliernow."

AA:"Andinfacteventhecampaignsareofferingtosendpeopleabsenteeballotapplications."

BENZIMMER:"That'sright. Imean, thisisreallycrucialalsowitholdervoterswhomighthavetroublegettingtothepollingstations. Andsowe'veseenabigpushinstateslikeFloridatohaveelderlyvotersvoteabsentee."

RS:"Oneoftheexpressionswe'vebeenseeinginthenewslatelybecausewe'vehadtwopoliticalconventionsispost-conventionbump."

BENZIMMER:"Thatreferstothespikeinthepollsforacandidateimmediatelyafterapoliticalconvention. SotheDemocratshadtheirconventionfirstthisyearandwesawariseinthepollsthatfavoredObama.

"AndthentheRepublicanshadtheirconventionthenextweekandtheygotanevenbiggerbumpbecauseofalltheattentionmostlysurroundingthevicepresidentialcandidate, SarahPalin, thegovernorofAlaska."

AA:"Andanothertermwe'rehearinginconnectionwithSarahPalinis'HailMarypass.'"

BENZIMMER:"Well, that'saninterestingtermthatmadethetransitionfromreligiontosportstopolitics. Soa'HailMary'isadevotionalprayerthat'ssaidbyCatholics, andthenitmadethetransitiontosports. RogerStaubach, whowasafamousfootballplayerinthenineteenseventies, referredtoaforwardpassthathemadeattheendofanimportantfootballgameasa'HailMarypass,'whichmeanshejustthrewitandsaidaprayer, hopingthatitwouldbecaught.

"Andsureenough, theballwascaughtandhisteamwonthatimportantgame. Andsothatthenbecameametaphorforanykindofdesperatemovemadetotrytoobtainavictory. SowhenSarahPalinwasannounced, somepeoplesaid'Oh, thisisjustaHailMarypass. He'sjusttryingtogetaheadofObamabymakingthisunexpectedmove.'"

RS:BenZimmerisexecutiveproduceroftheVisualThesaurus, anonlinethesaurusanddictionary. Moretermsfromthecampaigntrailnextweek.

AA:Asforthosepost-conventionbumps, weshouldnotethatasofTuesday, theRealClearPolitics.comaverageofnationalpollshadBarackObamaaheadbythreepoints.

RS:Andthat'sWORDMASTERforthisweek. WithAviArditti, I'mRosanneSkirble.