Election speak.

• Position: COVER STORY - Campaign jargons - Cover story

As November approaches, you'll be encountering lots of campaign jargon online, oil TV, and in print. Here are the terms you need to know to get you through Election Day.

ATTACK/ NEGATIVE ADS

Some political ads tell you why to vote for a candidate; attack, or negative, ads tell you why not to vote for someone-and they can (Jet pretty nasty. Both voters and candidates say they don't like negative ads, but will they go away? Not likely: The reality is, negative ads often work.

AIR WAR

The battle between candidates to get as much advertising on TV, radio, and the Internet as possible. The competition to get the Obama and Romney messages out is what's driving the fierce "money race"--another term you should know. This election will likely be the most expensive ever, with a total of about $11 billion in spending by the two campaigns combined, according to the Federal Election Commission.

LAME DUCK

An elected official who sees his or her power wane after being defeated for re-election, deciding not to run again, or because term limits prevent the official from running again. Why a lame duck? Because it's weak and can't keep up with the rest of the flock.

LOBBYISTS

Paid "influencers" who try to convince legislators and government officials to support their agendas. Lobbyists for, say, colleges, might try to convince Congress to give more money to, you guessed it, colleges. Corporations and unions, liberal and conservative groups, each of the 50 states, and foreign countries--all have lobbyists advancing their interests in Washington and state capitals. The term originated in London in the 1800s, when people would corner members of Parliament in the lobby of the House of Commons.

MUDSLINGING

Particularly negative--and often nasty and very personal--campaigning. But watch out for candidates who accuse their opponents of mudslinging, when in reality they just don't like what's been said about them and hope to minimize its impact.

99 (AND 1) PERCENT

These terms sprouted from the Occupy Wall Street protests that began in New York last fall: The "1 percent" has become shorthand for the wealthy and powerful, especially Wall Street bankers. The "99 percent" is supposed to be everyone else.

SUPER PACs

Political action committees (PACs) are private groups that are allowed to donate up to $5,000 to support a political candidate. But a super PAC can pool unlimited donations from individuals, unions, and corporations to advocate for a candidate as long as it...