Terms - Content Style Guide

NUMBERS

one-two punch
1 seed, No. 1 seed
2.55 ERA
2-0 lead
2-0 series deficit (never “0-2 deficit” in written form)
25-year-old, 25 years old
three-pointer, three-point shot
three-and-out
four-game series
5-point favorite, 8.5-point favorite, 10-point favorite
5/1 favorite (but Odds Shark style is to use moneyline odds ie. +500)
total of 9, total of 9.5 (numeral always)
total of 40, total of 40.5 (decimal, not fraction)
12-game winning streak, five-game winning streak
4-for-5 at the plate, 6-for-19 from the field
8-of-12 shooting, BUT “made eight of 12 shots”
22 of 33 for 236 yards
30-yard reception
8-ball (behind the 8-ball)
6.2 innings, NOT 6 2/3
three and a half years, three-and-a-half-year span
$65 million, $65-million contract
third-best record; fourth-highest ERA
seven straight wins (no hyphen)
.625 winning percentage
3 under, 3 under par, 3-under-par 69, 3-under 69
The 6 (Toronto)
Original Six (NHL)
New Year’s Six (NCAAF bowls)

Achilles tendon, but Achilles’ heel (vulnerable spot, AP)
AFC champion, AFC championship (title)
AFC championship game
AFC wild-card game
A-game (bring your A-game)
Aidan Hutchinson
aka (AP style)
AL Championship Series (ALCS), the championship series
AL Division Series (ALDS), the division series
AL East
all-American
all-in
All-Pro
all-star, all-star team, all-star break, all-star game, BUT: MLB All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Game (specific)
American League
among, NOT amongst
and a half (no hyphens unless used adjectivally)
Andersen, Frederik
Anunoby, OG
anymore (one word only when meaning “any longer”)
any time
anytime scorer (as prop only)
archrival
Australian/Aussie Rules football (CP)
average joe
awhile (adv.), a while (n.); two words when preceded by preposition: “in a while” or “for a while”
ax, axed (AP)
Ayton, Deandre

back door, BUT backdoor cover
back to back (adverb), back-to-back (adjective and noun)
backup (noun)
ball cap, ball field, ball club, ball game
ballpark, ballplayer
Banchero, Paolo
Band-Aid (bandage), BUT a band-aid solution
back burner
barnburner
basepath
baserunner
bases-loaded double
be-all and end-all
Beantown (Boston)
bell cow (noun), bell-cow (adj.), bell-cow running back
benefactor, gives something of benefit
beneficiary, receives something of benefit
Bennedict Mathurin
best-of-seven series
Big Dance (NCAA Tournament)
Big Ten
Big 12
blue line, red line, goal line
blue-liner
Blueshirts (New York Rangers, Broadway Blueshirts)
bona fide
bookmaker
BoSox
bottom-feeder
bounce back (verb), bounce-back (noun), bounce-back season (adj.)
brainchild
brain trust
Breeders’ Cup
bullpen
Bundesliga
Byeong Hun An (no hyphen)
bye week

call-up (noun), call up (verb)
Casey, Dwane
catch-up (noun: to play catch-up), catch up (verb)
center-fielder, center field
change-up (n.)
ChiSox
chock full (NOT chalk)
College Football Playoff
College Football Playoff National Championship
complete-game victory
complement (complete, fill up, make perfect)
compliment (praise)
Conner, James
Conners, Corey
Connor McDavid, Connor Bedard
Conor McGregor, Conor Sheary
constructor standings (F1)
coordinator
counterattack, counterpunch
counter-strike
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, or CS:GO
Cristian Javier
crosstown
CS:GO
currently (almost always unnecessary or easily replaced by “now”)
cut-off

dark horse, dark-horse team
Davante Adams
Day 1
day to day, day-to-day basis (adj.)
D-backs
Deandre Ayton
defense
Deshaun Watson
Devonta Freeman
DeVonta Smith
Devonte’ Graham
diehard (noun, adjective)
divisional round, divisional playoffs (NFL)
downs (fourth-and-one, second-and-14)
draft, NHL draft, NBA draft, NFL draft, BUT: 2018 NHL Entry Draft, 2018 NBA Draft (with year, full name)
driver standings (F1)
dropback
Dwane Casey
Dwyane Wade

East Division (CFL)
Edmunds, Tremaine, NOT Edwards
8-ball (behind the 8-ball)
eighth-inning rally
Elite Eight, Sweet 16, Final Four, First Four (NCAA)
empty-handed
end zone
English Premier League, Premier League, EPL
en route
esports (new Associated Press style)
exercise (physical activity)
exorcise (demons)

fadeaway (noun, adj.), fade away (verb)
fairy tale
fare well (do well)
Father Time
favored, favorite
faze (as in: unnerve, rattle), phase (stage, level)
FBS, Football Bowl Subdivision
FCS, Football Championship Subdivision
FedExCup, FedExCup playoffs
FedExField
fewer/less (seven or fewer points/seven points or less)
final, Stanley Cup Final, Cup Final, Western Conference final, the conference final
Final Four, First Four, Elite Eight, Sweet 16 (NCAA)
finalist
finals, NBA Finals
first-ever (adj.)
first overall, first overall pick
First Four (NCAA)
first things first (NOT thing’s)
fly ball, fly-ball percentage
flyer (frequent flyer, posted flyer) but “take a flier on” (AP)
Formula 1, F1
front-runner

Game 2 of the series
game-changer
game-high 35 points
game plan (noun), game-plan (verb)
gameplay
Gameweek 1 (EPL)
game-winner, game-winning goal
gel (for hair); jell (come together)
Georges St-Pierre
giveaway, takeaway
goal line
goalmouth
goal scorer
golf (3 under par; 3-under 69; par-4 hole; a par 4)
Gonzales, Marco
Gonzalez’s hit
Graham, Devonte’
Grand Prix, Grands Prix (pl.)
ground ball, grounder
Grubauer, Philipp

Hackett, Nathaniel
Hail Mary
Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but Ticats
hand in hand
hard-core fan
hard pressed to (infinitive), BUT hard-pressed GM (adj.)
headfirst
head-on (adj., adv.)
head-to-head
heartbreaking, heartwarming, heart-wrenching, heart rate
hold’em, No-Limit Hold’em (poker)
home-court advantage, home-field advantage
homestand
Hutchinson, Aidan

icebreaker
inside-the-park homer
interception (not INT)
internet
its (possessive pronoun), it’s (contraction: it is)

jack of all trades
James Conner
Javier, Cristian
Jeffery, Alshon
Jekyll and Hyde
jell (come together); gel (for hair)
jiu-jitsu
Jr. (first reference only: Lance McCullers Jr., then McCullers)
juco (junior college)
just deserts (get what deserved), NOT just desserts

kickboxer, kickboxing
kick-start (noun, verb)

Laine, Patrik
La Liga
LaVine, Zach
leaderboard
league-leading, league-wide
leapfrog
left-fielder, left field
lights-out (adj., Merriam-Webster)
logjam
long ball (home run)
long shot
look-ahead lines

Mahomes, Patrick
Marquis’ catcher
Mathurin, Bennedict
McDavid, Connor
McGregor, Conor
midseason
Midsummer Classic (baseball’s all-star game)
minuscule
minus money, minus-money favorite
NASCAR Cup Series
more so, NOT moreso
murderers’ row

Nathaniel Hackett
NBA Finals
NCAA Tournament (basketball)
neck and neck
New Year’s Six
NFC champion, NFC championship (title)
NFC championship game
NFC wild-card game
NL Championship Series, the championship series
NL Division Series, the division series
No. 1 pick, No. 3 starter, No. 4-ranked, No. 2 seed
no contest
no-decision
no-hitter
nosedive

Octagon
oddsboard
oddsmaker
Odds Shark
of late (NOT “as of late”)
offense
off guard, off limits, off course, off base, off balance
off-day, off-night, off-year
offseason
OK
one-on-one
one-run lead
one-sided
opening-round game
Original Six (NHL)
Ottawa Redblacks
outhit
OVER the posted total
OVER/UNDER

Pac-12
Paolo Banchero
pass rusher
Patrick Mahomes, not Pat
pay dirt
PGA Tour, the tour
penultimate, means 'second-to-last,' NOT 'last' or 'final' or 'quintessential'
phase (stage, level), faze (unnerve, rattle)
Philipp Grubauer
pick’em
pick-six
pinch hit (noun and verb)
pinch-hitter, pinch-hit home run
pingpong, Ping-Pong is trademark (AP)
pit bull, pit stop
pitchers’ duel
Plan B
play-action (noun, adj.)
playthrough (Best Online Casinos style)
plus money
point A, from point A to point B
pole sitter
pore over (to study), NOT pour over
Portland Trail Blazers
post-flop
postseason
Power Five
pre-flop
preseason
President Cup (QMJHL)
Presidents Cup (golf)
Presidents’ Trophy (NHL)
prime time (noun), prime-time (adj.)
Pro Bowl, Pro Bowler

quarterfinal

RBI double
RBIs (plural)
record book
record-breaking
Redblacks
red line
red zone, red-zone threat
reins (on a horse, take the reins)
reigns (rules over something, three-year reign)
right-fielder, right field
rip-off
round, first round, first-round game, first-round pick, first-rounder
run-scoring single

Saint Mary’s Gaels
scoresheet, scorecard, scorekeeper
season-high 24 points; BUT: His 24 points was a season high.
see-saw battle
sellout (noun), sell out (verb)
semifinal
Serie A
shoo-in, NOT shoe-in
short-handed, short-lived, short-sighted, short-staffed
shortchange, shortcoming, shortcut
shutout (noun, adj.), shut out (verb)
signal-caller
single-handedly
sinkerball
six-game suspension
skill set
slapshot
Smith, DeVonta
snake-bitten, BUT snakebite
snap shot (hockey), snapshot (photo)
soccer: Bundesliga, English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A
sportsbook
square one
Stanley Cup, the Cup
Stanley Cup champion, Stanley Cup Final
Star-Spangled Banner (AP, hyphen)
straight (four straight wins, no hyphen)
strikeout (noun, adj.), strike out (verb)
subpar
Super Bowl 53, Super Bowl 9 (AP, use number, not roman numeral)
surefire
Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, First Four (NCAA)

Tagovailoa, Tua
takeaway, giveaway
T-Dot
team-high 27 points
The 6 (Toronto)
three-point shot, three-pointer
Tiger-Cats, BUT Ticats
timeline, timetable, timeout
time frame
Tinseltown (Hollywood)
tipoff (noun), tip off (verb)
titleholder
toe to toe
Top 25 (AP poll), top 10, top five, top-10 finish, five top-10s
toss-up
touchdown (not TD)
trade-off
Triple-A
T-Wolves

UFC FightCenter
UNDER the posted total
underway
uptempo

VanVleet, Fred
Vegas Golden Knights
vs (versus, no period)

wake-up call
warm-up (noun)
Watson, Deshaun
Week 2
West Division (CFL)
whup (beat badly), whoop (shout)
wild card, wild-card team, wild-card berth, wild-card game, AFC wild-card game, NFC wild-card game
Wild Card Weekend (NFL)
Willson Contreras
*wink-wink*
winner’s circle (Oxford)
wire-to-wire
work-in-progress
world-beater
wraparound
WrestleMania