Language guide · 133 entries
Partisan shorthand
A name coined by one side of a debate that contains its conclusion.
Every entry says why the wording is loaded and what a neutral writer would use instead. An entry marked “depends on context” is highlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.
abortion bounty huntersbounty hunter lawvigilante law
Opponents' nickname; describe the enforcement mechanism.
More neutral: law allowing private citizens to sue (describe)
abortion on demand
Implies frivolity; describe the actual policy.
More neutral: legal abortion, abortion without restrictions on (specify)
amnesty
Charged when applied to legalization proposals that include conditions.
More neutral: path to legal status, legalization program
anti-choice
Opponents' label applied by the other side.
More neutral: anti-abortion, opposes abortion rights
anti-gayanti-immigrantanti-lgbtqanti-transanti-unionanti-womananti-worker
Opponents' characterization used as a name; describe the measure.
More neutral: describe what the bill or policy does
anti-policepro-crimepro-criminal
Attributes a motive nobody claims.
More neutral: describe the policing or sentencing policy
apartheid
Charged when applied outside historical South Africa; attribute it.
More neutral: attribute the characterization and describe the policies
assault on democracyattack on democracythreat to democracywar on democracy
Conclusion stated as description; say what was done.
More neutral: describe the specific action and its legal status
assault weaponassault weaponsweapons of war
Contested category without a stable technical definition; name the firearm.
More neutral: semi-automatic rifle, name the firearm type
attack on trans kidsattack on trans rightsattacks on trans kidsattacks on trans youthwar on trans people
Combat framing for a policy; describe the measure.
More neutral: describe what the bill or policy does
attempted coupcoup attempt
Legal and historical characterization; describe the conduct and note who uses the term.
More neutral: effort to overturn the election results, describe the actions
austerity
Opponents' name for spending cuts.
More neutral: spending cuts of (amount)
bailoutbailouts
Implies undeserved rescue; describe the terms.
More neutral: government loan, rescue package of (amount)
ballot harvesting
Pejorative for a legal practice in many states.
More neutral: third-party ballot collection
banned booksbook banbook banningbook bans
Opponents' name for removal decisions that range from one school shelf to statewide rules; say what was removed and by whom.
More neutral: removal of books from school libraries or curricula (say which, where)
bathroom billbathroom bills
Nickname; describe what the bill requires.
More neutral: bill restricting restroom use by sex assigned at birth
bidenflationplandemic hoaxrussia hoax
Conclusion fused into a name.
More neutral: inflation, the Russia investigation
big agbig oilbig pharmabig tech
Implies a monolithic conspiracy; name who did what.
More neutral: name the companies
big governmentjob killingjob-killingnanny statered tapewelfare state
Slogan in place of a policy description.
More neutral: describe the regulation or program and its measured effects
billionaire classthe 1%the one percentthe top 1%the ultra-wealthy
Class label as villain; quantify.
More neutral: households earning above (amount), name the people
biological femalebiological malebiological menbiological women
Contested framing; the neutral option names the person's identity and, where relevant, sex assigned at birth.
More neutral: transgender woman, transgender man, person assigned male at birth
birthing peoplebirthing personpeople who menstruatepregnant people
Inclusive phrasing that many readers, including left-of-center ones, find obscuring. The opposing vocabulary is flagged too.
More neutral: pregnant women, women and transgender men who are pregnant (when relevant)
bloatedrunaway spendingspending spreetax and spendtax-and-spendwasteful spending
Verdict on spending in place of the figure.
More neutral: spending of (amount), describe the program
book burnersbook burning
Equates removal decisions with historical book burnings.
More neutral: removal of books from school libraries (say which, where)
boys in girls' sportsgender confusedgender confusionmen in women's sportssex change
Opponents' framing of transgender identity and participation; describe the policy.
More neutral: transgender athletes in women's sports, name the procedure, gender dysphoria
cancel culturecanceled by the mobcancelled
Frames consequences as persecution; state what happened.
More neutral: was fired, lost a contract, faced criticism
caravan of migrantsmigrant caravan
Evokes an organized march; give the number.
More neutral: group of migrants, (number) migrants traveling together
catch and releasecriminal aliencriminal aliensmigrant crime
Links immigration status and crime in the label; give the data.
More neutral: noncitizens convicted of crimes, crimes by (give data), release pending a hearing
chain migration
Pejorative rebranding of the legal family-sponsorship system.
More neutral: family-based immigration
children in cageskids in cages
Slogan; describe the facilities and conditions.
More neutral: children held in detention facilities (describe conditions)
china viruskung fluwuhan virus
Attaches a nationality to a disease; the virus has a name.
More neutral: COVID-19, the coronavirus
clean energy
Value judgement in the name; name the source.
More neutral: renewable energy, low-carbon energy, name the source
climate crisisclimate emergency
Advocacy framing that asserts urgency in the name of the phenomenon.
More neutral: climate change
climate hoaxclimate scamgreen new scam
Declares the science fraudulent.
More neutral: climate change, climate policy
climate justiceenvironmental justice
Advocacy framing; describe the measure.
More neutral: describe the policy and who it affects
common sense gun lawscommon-sense gun lawscommonsense gun lawscommonsense gun reform
Asserts that opposing the proposal is senseless.
More neutral: proposed gun regulations (describe them)
concentration campconcentration camps
Charged when applied to present-day detention; historical references are not charged.
More neutral: detention facility, detention center
constitutional carry
Advocacy name asserting a constitutional conclusion.
More neutral: permitless carry
corporate greed
Attributes motive; report the numbers.
More neutral: describe the pricing or profit claim
corporate pollutersdirty energyfossil fuel interestspolluters
Villain label; name who emitted what.
More neutral: name the companies and the emissions
corporate welfare
Reverses the welfare stigma onto companies; give the amount.
More neutral: subsidy of (amount) to (company), tax credit for
court packingcourt-packingpack the court
Opponents' name for the proposal.
More neutral: expanding the Supreme Court, adding justices
critical race theory
An academic framework whose name is applied loosely to any discussion of race; describe what is actually taught.
More neutral: describe the curriculum or training
cultural marxismcultural marxistcultural marxists
Conspiracy-theory term with antisemitic origins.
More neutral: describe the idea being criticized
dark money
Common shorthand, but the reader deserves the mechanism.
More neutral: undisclosed donors, spending by groups that do not disclose donors
death tax
Coined to make an inheritance tax sound like a tax on dying. The statutory name is estate tax.
More neutral: estate tax
demographic replacementgreat replacementreplacement theory
Name of a white-nationalist conspiracy theory; charged when used as a description rather than reported on.
More neutral: immigration levels (give data), attribute: 'the conspiracy theory known as'
don't say gay
Opponents' nickname for the law; use its name and describe what it restricts.
More neutral: Florida's Parental Rights in Education law
election fraudvoter fraud
Charged when asserted without cases or findings; cite them.
More neutral: (number) cases of illegal voting, allegations of fraud, which (courts/officials) found
election integrity
Everyone claims integrity; describe the rule.
More neutral: describe the specific voting rule
energy dominanceenergy independencereliable energy
Slogan framing for fossil fuel production; describe the policy.
More neutral: domestic oil and gas production, name the source
entitlement programsentitlements
Budget term that, in political use, frames earned benefits as handouts.
More neutral: Social Security and Medicare, benefit programs
environmental racism
Attributes a measured disparity to racism in the name; report the disparity and who attributes it to what.
More neutral: describe the disparity in exposure and cite the data
erasing trans peopletrans erasuretrans genocide
Equates policy with mass killing or elimination; describe the measure.
More neutral: describe what the law or policy does
ethnic cleansing
Report who applies the term and on what basis.
More neutral: forced displacement of (who), attribute the characterization
executed by policemurdered by policepolice murder
Murder is a legal finding; before a verdict, 'killed' is accurate.
More neutral: killed by police, shot by an officer
experimental vaccineexperimental vaccinesjabsthe jab
Casual or misleading names for an authorized vaccine.
More neutral: the vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine
fake electors
Widely used, including in indictments; the opposing euphemism is flagged too.
More neutral: people who signed certificates claiming to be electors
family valuespro-familyreal americanssilent majoritytraditional values
Implies the other side opposes families or is not truly American.
More neutral: describe the position or the group
fetal heartbeatheartbeat billheartbeat law
Advocacy name; medical groups say the term is inaccurate at six weeks.
More neutral: six-week abortion ban, ban after embryonic cardiac activity is detectable
forced birthforced birtherforced-birth
Opponents' characterization applied as a name.
More neutral: abortion ban, anti-abortion
free stufffreebiesgiveawaygiveawayshandouthandouts
Frames public benefits as undeserved.
More neutral: benefit, subsidy, payment
freedom fighterfreedom fighters
Endorses a side's cause in the noun.
More neutral: fighter, rebel, name the group
gay agendagroomer agendahomosexual agendalgbt agendatrans agenda
Asserts a coordinated plan by a minority group.
More neutral: describe the policy or curriculum
gender affirming caregender-affirming care
Advocates' umbrella term; the neutral move is to name the treatment. The opposing vocabulary is flagged too.
More neutral: describe the specific treatment (puberty blockers, hormones, surgery)
gender ideologytrans ideologytransgenderism
Recasts an identity as a doctrine.
More neutral: transgender identity, policies on transgender people
genocidalgenocide
A legal determination with a specific definition. Report who applies the term and on what basis unless a competent body has ruled.
More neutral: attribute the characterization: 'which (who) has called a genocide'
giveaway to the richtax breaks for billionairestax cuts for the rich
Conclusion stated as a name; give the distribution.
More neutral: tax cuts (specify who benefits and by how much)
gop tax scammaga tax scamtrump slumptrump tax scam
Conclusion fused into a name.
More neutral: the 2017 tax law, the economic slowdown
government schoolsgovernment-run schools
Rebranding meant to make public schools sound coercive.
More neutral: public schools
government takeover
Caricatures regulation as seizure.
More neutral: describe the regulation or program
greedflationpredatoryprofiteeringprofiteersslumlordslumlords
Attributes motive; report the conduct.
More neutral: describe the practice, the prices and any legal finding
greenwashingpinkwashingsportswashing
Accusation of deceptive branding; show the evidence.
More neutral: describe the claim and the evidence that it is misleading
gun confiscationgun grabgun grabbers
Characterizes regulation as seizure; say what the proposal does.
More neutral: describe the specific proposal
gun lobby
Faceless villain; name the organizations.
More neutral: the NRA, gun-rights groups
gun safety lawsgun safety legislation
Advocacy rebranding of gun control; describe the measure.
More neutral: gun regulations, describe the measure
illegal immigrantillegal immigrantsillegal immigration
Applies 'illegal' to a person rather than an act. The opposing euphemism is flagged too.
More neutral: immigrant without legal status, unauthorized immigrant, unauthorized immigration
indoctrinatingindoctrination
Asserts that teaching is propaganda without showing the content.
More neutral: describe the curriculum or lesson
institutional racismracial reckoningstructural racismsystemic racism
A contested explanatory framework; report the measured disparity and who attributes it to what.
More neutral: describe the disparity and cite the data
insurrection
A legal term with specific meaning; describe the event and note who uses the term.
More neutral: attack on the Capitol, riot at the Capitol
jim crow 2.0new jim crow
Equates a contested rule with segregation-era law.
More neutral: describe the specific voting rule
job creators
Assumes an economic outcome in the label.
More neutral: employers, business owners, high earners
justified shooting
A legal finding; attribute it to whoever made it.
More neutral: shooting that (authority) ruled justified, shooting under investigation
late capitalismlate stage capitalismlate-stage capitalism
Assumes capitalism is ending; describe the condition.
More neutral: describe the economic condition
late term abortionlate-term abortion
Not a medical term; specify the gestational age.
More neutral: abortion after (specify) weeks
latinx
Used mainly by institutions; polls show most people it describes do not use it.
More neutral: Latino, Hispanic
law abiding gun ownerslaw-abiding gun owners
Pre-judges the group's conduct to argue against regulation.
More neutral: gun owners
law and ordertough on crime
Slogan in place of a policy description.
More neutral: describe the policing or sentencing policy
living wagepoverty wagesstarvation wages
Advocacy framing; give the number.
More neutral: wages of (amount) an hour
mansplainedmansplainingpunching downtoxic masculinitywhite privilege
Concept from advocacy and academia used as an everyday label; describe what happened.
More neutral: describe the behaviour or the disparity
medical freedomparental rightsreligious freedomreligious liberty
Advocacy name that frames the opposing side as against a freedom; describe the measure.
More neutral: describe the exemption or the bill
modern sporting riflemodern sporting rifles
Industry rebranding that emphasizes sport over the weapon's design.
More neutral: semi-automatic rifle
muslim ban
Opponents' name for the policy; describe which countries and what restrictions.
More neutral: travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries
mutilatemutilating childrenmutilation
Charged when applied to medical procedures; describe the procedure.
More neutral: surgery, name the procedure
obamacare
Began as a pejorative nickname; now common, but the law has a name.
More neutral: the Affordable Care Act
occupationoccupied territoriesoccupier
Contested in some conflicts and standard international usage in others; specify.
More neutral: specify the territory and legal status (many bodies use 'occupied'; others dispute it)
open bordersopen-borders
Almost no one advocates literally open borders; the phrase caricatures the position.
More neutral: describe the specific immigration policy
partial birth abortionpartial-birth abortion
Political, not medical, term coined by opponents.
More neutral: intact dilation and extraction, a late-term abortion procedure
peaceful protesters
Pre-judges contested facts about a protest.
More neutral: protesters (describe what they did)
plandemicscamdemic
Asserts a conspiracy in the noun.
More neutral: the pandemic
police brutality
Conclusion about the force used; describe the incident and any finding.
More neutral: police use of force, describe the incident
price gouging
A legal term in some states; otherwise an accusation. Give the numbers.
More neutral: price increases of (amount)
prison industrial complexprison-industrial complexschool to prison pipelineschool-to-prison pipeline
Activist framing that asserts a system and an intent; describe the policy.
More neutral: describe the discipline or incarceration policy and its measured effects
pro-abortion
Implies enthusiasm for abortion rather than support for its legality.
More neutral: abortion-rights supporters, supports legal abortion
pro-choice
Self-chosen label that frames opponents as anti-choice. AP style uses abortion-rights.
More neutral: abortion-rights, supports legal abortion
pro-hamas
Attributes support for a designated terrorist group to protesters who may not express it.
More neutral: pro-Palestinian, critics of Israel's war in Gaza
pro-life
Self-chosen label that frames opponents as anti-life. AP style uses anti-abortion.
More neutral: anti-abortion, opposes abortion rights
purging votersvoter purgevoter purges
Opponents' name for roll maintenance or removals; give the number and the reason stated.
More neutral: removal of (number) names from the voter rolls
riggedrigged electionstolenstolen election
Asserts fraud; report the specific claim and the evidence. Flagged only in election contexts; theft stories are not charged.
More neutral: disputed election, claims without evidence that
right to workright-to-work
Advocacy name; describe what the law does.
More neutral: laws barring mandatory union fees
riotriotersriotingriots
Charged when applied to protests with limited violence; describe what occurred. Legally defined riots are not charged.
More neutral: protest, unrest, describe the violence and its scale
sanctuary citiessanctuary city
Widely used, but the word 'sanctuary' overstates what the policies do.
More neutral: city that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement
school choice
Advocacy name; describe the mechanism.
More neutral: vouchers, public funding for private school tuition, charter school expansion
settler colonialsettler colonialismsettler colonysettler-colonialsettler-colonial state
Academic framework used as an accusation; attribute it.
More neutral: attribute the characterization and describe the history
socialized medicine
Cold War framing for public health insurance.
More neutral: single-payer health care, government-run insurance
soft on crime
Slogan in place of a policy description.
More neutral: describe the sentencing or bail policy
stochastic terrorismstochastic terrorist
Attributes responsibility for violence to speech; show the link.
More neutral: describe the statement and any documented link to violence
stolen seatstolen supreme court seat
Accusation stated as fact.
More neutral: the seat filled after the Senate declined to consider (nominee)
tax cheattax cheatstax dodgertax dodgerstax scam
Accusation of wrongdoing; legal avoidance and illegal evasion are different things.
More neutral: describe the tax strategy and its legality
tax relief
Frames taxes as an affliction.
More neutral: tax cut
terrorismterroristterrorists
Applied unevenly across conflicts. Neutral coverage names the group and notes who designates it.
More neutral: attacker, gunman, militant, name the group; note official designations
the big lie
Label for a claim; state the claim.
More neutral: the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen
trickle down economicstrickle-down
Opponents' name for the policy.
More neutral: supply-side, tax cuts on high incomes
unborn babiesunborn babyunborn childunborn children
Advocacy framing that presupposes personhood; medical term is fetus. Both vocabularies carry a position.
More neutral: fetus, pregnancy
union busterunion bustingunion-busting
Accusation; describe the conduct and any legal finding.
More neutral: opposition to the union drive (describe the actions)
uprising
Endorses the protest's cause in the noun.
More neutral: protests, unrest
voter suppression
Conclusion about intent and effect; describe the rule.
More neutral: describe the specific voting rule and its effect
war on christianswar on christmaswar on faith
Combat metaphor for a cultural disagreement.
More neutral: describe the specific dispute
war on coalwar on energywar on fossil fuels
Combat metaphor for regulation.
More neutral: regulations on coal plants (describe them)
war on women
Combat metaphor for a policy disagreement.
More neutral: describe the specific policies
white fragilitywhite ragewhitelash
Attributes a reaction to race; describe what people said or did.
More neutral: describe the reaction and who is reacting
woke
Used as a catch-all pejorative; the reader cannot tell what is actually being criticized.
More neutral: name the policy or statement
zionistzionists
Charged when used as a pejorative or a stand-in for Jews; neutral as a self-description.
More neutral: supporter of Israel, Israeli government