diff --git a/hgext/convert/subversion.py b/hgext/convert/subversion.py
--- a/hgext/convert/subversion.py
+++ b/hgext/convert/subversion.py
@@ -995,7 +995,8 @@ class svn_sink(converter_sink, commandli
                     path = '/' + path
                 path = 'file://' + path
 
-            ui.status(_('initializing svn wc %r\n') % os.path.basename(wcpath))
+            ui.status(_('initializing svn working copy %r\n')
+                      % os.path.basename(wcpath))
             self.run0('checkout', path, wcpath)
 
             self.wc = wcpath
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-svn-sink.out b/tests/test-convert-svn-sink.out
--- a/tests/test-convert-svn-sink.out
+++ b/tests/test-convert-svn-sink.out
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ adding d1/d2/b
 1:e0e2b8a9156b
 assuming destination a-hg
 initializing svn repository 'a-hg'
-initializing svn wc 'a-hg-wc'
+initializing svn working copy 'a-hg-wc'
 scanning source...
 sorting...
 converting...
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ same
 % rename
 2:eb5169441d43
 assuming destination a-hg
-initializing svn wc 'a-hg-wc'
+initializing svn working copy 'a-hg-wc'
 scanning source...
 sorting...
 converting...
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ d1
 % copy
 3:60effef6ab48
 assuming destination a-hg
-initializing svn wc 'a-hg-wc'
+initializing svn working copy 'a-hg-wc'
 scanning source...
 sorting...
 converting...
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ d1
 % remove
 4:87bbe3013fb6
 assuming destination a-hg
-initializing svn wc 'a-hg-wc'
+initializing svn working copy 'a-hg-wc'
 scanning source...
 sorting...
 converting...
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ d1
 % executable
 5:ff42e473c340
 assuming destination a-hg
-initializing svn wc 'a-hg-wc'
+initializing svn working copy 'a-hg-wc'
 scanning source...
 sorting...
 converting...
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ executable
 adding d1/a
 assuming destination a-hg
 initializing svn repository 'a-hg'
-initializing svn wc 'a-hg-wc'
+initializing svn working copy 'a-hg-wc'
 scanning source...
 sorting...
 converting...
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ At revision 1.
 executable
 % copy to new directory
 assuming destination a-hg
-initializing svn wc 'a-hg-wc'
+initializing svn working copy 'a-hg-wc'
 scanning source...
 sorting...
 converting...
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ 2 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files
 use 'hg resolve' to retry unresolved file merges or 'hg update -C' to abandon
 assuming destination b-hg
 initializing svn repository 'b-hg'
-initializing svn wc 'b-hg-wc'
+initializing svn working copy 'b-hg-wc'
 scanning source...
 sorting...
 converting...