diff --git a/hgext/bugzilla.py b/hgext/bugzilla.py
--- a/hgext/bugzilla.py
+++ b/hgext/bugzilla.py
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ class bzmysql(bzaccess):
             if ret:
                 self.ui.warn(out)
                 raise util.Abort(_('bugzilla notify command %s') %
-                                 util.explain_exit(ret)[0])
+                                 util.explainexit(ret)[0])
         self.ui.status(_('done\n'))
 
     def get_user_id(self, user):
diff --git a/hgext/convert/common.py b/hgext/convert/common.py
--- a/hgext/convert/common.py
+++ b/hgext/convert/common.py
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ class commandline(object):
             if output:
                 self.ui.warn(_('%s error:\n') % self.command)
                 self.ui.warn(output)
-            msg = util.explain_exit(status)[0]
+            msg = util.explainexit(status)[0]
             raise util.Abort('%s %s' % (self.command, msg))
 
     def run0(self, cmd, *args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/mercurial/hook.py b/mercurial/hook.py
--- a/mercurial/hook.py
+++ b/mercurial/hook.py
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ def _exthook(ui, repo, name, cmd, args, 
     else:
         r = util.system(cmd, environ=env, cwd=cwd)
     if r:
-        desc, r = util.explain_exit(r)
+        desc, r = util.explainexit(r)
         if throw:
             raise util.Abort(_('%s hook %s') % (name, desc))
         ui.warn(_('warning: %s hook %s\n') % (name, desc))
diff --git a/mercurial/mail.py b/mercurial/mail.py
--- a/mercurial/mail.py
+++ b/mercurial/mail.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ def _sendmail(ui, sender, recipients, ms
     if ret:
         raise util.Abort('%s %s' % (
             os.path.basename(program.split(None, 1)[0]),
-            util.explain_exit(ret)[0]))
+            util.explainexit(ret)[0]))
 
 def connect(ui):
     '''make a mail connection. return a function to send mail.
diff --git a/mercurial/patch.py b/mercurial/patch.py
--- a/mercurial/patch.py
+++ b/mercurial/patch.py
@@ -1191,7 +1191,7 @@ def _externalpatch(patcher, patchname, u
     code = fp.close()
     if code:
         raise PatchError(_("patch command failed: %s") %
-                         util.explain_exit(code)[0])
+                         util.explainexit(code)[0])
     return fuzz
 
 def internalpatch(patchobj, ui, strip, cwd, files=None, eolmode='strict'):
diff --git a/mercurial/posix.py b/mercurial/posix.py
--- a/mercurial/posix.py
+++ b/mercurial/posix.py
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ def testpid(pid):
     except OSError, inst:
         return inst.errno != errno.ESRCH
 
-def explain_exit(code):
+def explainexit(code):
     """return a 2-tuple (desc, code) describing a subprocess status
     (codes from kill are negative - not os.system/wait encoding)"""
     if code >= 0:
diff --git a/mercurial/util.py b/mercurial/util.py
--- a/mercurial/util.py
+++ b/mercurial/util.py
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ def tempfilter(s, cmd):
             code = 0
         if code:
             raise Abort(_("command '%s' failed: %s") %
-                        (cmd, explain_exit(code)))
+                        (cmd, explainexit(code)))
         fp = open(outname, 'rb')
         r = fp.read()
         fp.close()
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ def system(cmd, environ={}, cwd=None, on
         rc = 0
     if rc and onerr:
         errmsg = '%s %s' % (os.path.basename(origcmd.split(None, 1)[0]),
-                            explain_exit(rc)[0])
+                            explainexit(rc)[0])
         if errprefix:
             errmsg = '%s: %s' % (errprefix, errmsg)
         try:
diff --git a/mercurial/windows.py b/mercurial/windows.py
--- a/mercurial/windows.py
+++ b/mercurial/windows.py
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ def popen(command, mode='r'):
     command += " 2> %s" % nulldev
     return os.popen(quotecommand(command), mode)
 
-def explain_exit(code):
+def explainexit(code):
     return _("exited with status %d") % code, code
 
 # if you change this stub into a real check, please try to implement the