diff --git a/hgext/children.py b/hgext/children.py
--- a/hgext/children.py
+++ b/hgext/children.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from mercurial.i18n import _
 
 
 def children(ui, repo, file_=None, **opts):
-    """show the children of the given or working dir revision
+    """show the children of the given or working directory revision
 
     Print the children of the working directory's revisions. If a
     revision is given via --rev, the children of that revision will be
diff --git a/hgext/convert/__init__.py b/hgext/convert/__init__.py
--- a/hgext/convert/__init__.py
+++ b/hgext/convert/__init__.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def convert(ui, src, dest=None, revmapfi
 
     The 'include' directive causes a file, or all files under a
     directory, to be included in the destination repository, and the
-    exclusion of all other files and dirs not explicitely included.
+    exclusion of all other files and directories not explicitely included.
     The 'exclude' directive causes files or directories to be omitted.
     The 'rename' directive renames a file or directory. To rename from
     a subdirectory into the root of the repository, use '.' as the
diff --git a/hgext/convert/monotone.py b/hgext/convert/monotone.py
--- a/hgext/convert/monotone.py
+++ b/hgext/convert/monotone.py
@@ -154,7 +154,9 @@ class monotone_source(converter_source, 
                 if self.mtnisdir(toname, rev):
                     renamed = self.mtnrenamefiles(self.files, fromname, toname)
                     for tofile, fromfile in renamed.items():
-                        self.ui.debug (_("copying file in renamed dir from '%s' to '%s'") % (fromfile, tofile), '\n')
+                        self.ui.debug (_("copying file in renamed directory "
+                                         "from '%s' to '%s'")
+                                       % (fromfile, tofile), '\n')
                         files[tofile] = rev
                     for fromfile in renamed.values():
                         files[fromfile] = rev
diff --git a/hgext/extdiff.py b/hgext/extdiff.py
--- a/hgext/extdiff.py
+++ b/hgext/extdiff.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 '''
 The `extdiff' Mercurial extension allows you to use external programs
-to compare revisions, or revision with working dir. The external diff
+to compare revisions, or revision with working directory. The external diff
 programs are called with a configurable set of options and two
 non-option arguments: paths to directories containing snapshots of
 files to compare.
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ def snapshot_wdir(ui, repo, files, tmpro
         dirname = "root"
     base = os.path.join(tmproot, dirname)
     os.mkdir(base)
-    ui.note(_('making snapshot of %d files from working dir\n') %
+    ui.note(_('making snapshot of %d files from working directory\n') %
             (len(files)))
 
     fns_and_mtime = []
diff --git a/hgext/mq.py b/hgext/mq.py
--- a/hgext/mq.py
+++ b/hgext/mq.py
@@ -2218,7 +2218,7 @@ def save(ui, repo, **opts):
 def strip(ui, repo, rev, **opts):
     """strip a revision and all its descendants from the repository
 
-    If one of the working dir's parent revisions is stripped, the
+    If one of the working directory's parent revisions is stripped, the
     working directory will be updated to the parent of the stripped
     revision.
     """
@@ -2514,7 +2514,7 @@ cmdtable = {
     'qheader': (header, [], _('hg qheader [PATCH]')),
     "^qimport":
         (qimport,
-         [('e', 'existing', None, _('import file in patch dir')),
+         [('e', 'existing', None, _('import file in patch directory')),
           ('n', 'name', '', _('patch file name')),
           ('f', 'force', None, _('overwrite existing files')),
           ('r', 'rev', [], _('place existing revisions under mq control')),
@@ -2567,7 +2567,7 @@ cmdtable = {
     "qrestore":
         (restore,
          [('d', 'delete', None, _('delete save entry')),
-          ('u', 'update', None, _('update queue working dir'))],
+          ('u', 'update', None, _('update queue working directory'))],
          _('hg qrestore [-d] [-u] REV')),
     "qsave":
         (save,
diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -2088,7 +2088,7 @@ def outgoing(ui, repo, dest=None, **opts
         displayer.show(repo[n])
 
 def parents(ui, repo, file_=None, **opts):
-    """show the parents of the working dir or revision
+    """show the parents of the working directory or revision
 
     Print the working directory's parent revisions. If a revision is
     given via --rev, the parent of that revision will be printed. If a
@@ -2399,10 +2399,10 @@ def resolve(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
                 util.rename(a + ".resolve", a + ".orig")
 
 def revert(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
-    """restore individual files or dirs to an earlier state
+    """restore individual files or directories to an earlier state
 
     (use update -r to check out earlier revisions, revert does not
-    change the working dir parents)
+    change the working directory parents)
 
     With no revision specified, revert the named files or directories
     to the contents they had in the parent of the working directory.
@@ -2644,7 +2644,7 @@ def rollback(ui, repo):
     repo.rollback()
 
 def root(ui, repo):
-    """print the root (top) of the current working dir
+    """print the root (top) of the current working directory
 
     Print the root directory of the current repository.
     """
@@ -2924,13 +2924,13 @@ def update(ui, repo, node=None, rev=None
     Use null as the revision to remove the working copy (like 'hg
     clone -U').
 
-    When the working dir contains no uncommitted changes, it will be
+    When the working directory contains no uncommitted changes, it will be
     replaced by the state of the requested revision from the repo.
     When the requested revision is on a different branch, the working
-    dir will additionally be switched to that branch.
+    directory will additionally be switched to that branch.
 
     When there are uncommitted changes, use option -C to discard them,
-    forcibly replacing the state of the working dir with the requested
+    forcibly replacing the state of the working directory with the requested
     revision.
 
     When there are uncommitted changes and option -C is not used, and
@@ -3385,7 +3385,7 @@ table = {
           ('a', 'address', '', _('address to listen on (default: all interfaces)')),
           ('', 'prefix', '', _('prefix path to serve from (default: server root)')),
           ('n', 'name', '',
-           _('name to show in web pages (default: working dir)')),
+           _('name to show in web pages (default: working directory)')),
           ('', 'webdir-conf', '', _('name of the webdir config file'
                                     ' (serve more than one repo)')),
           ('', 'pid-file', '', _('name of file to write process ID to')),
diff --git a/tests/test-convert.out b/tests/test-convert.out
--- a/tests/test-convert.out
+++ b/tests/test-convert.out
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ convert a foreign SCM repository to a Me
 
     The 'include' directive causes a file, or all files under a
     directory, to be included in the destination repository, and the
-    exclusion of all other files and dirs not explicitely included.
+    exclusion of all other files and directories not explicitely included.
     The 'exclude' directive causes files or directories to be omitted.
     The 'rename' directive renames a file or directory. To rename from
     a subdirectory into the root of the repository, use '.' as the
diff --git a/tests/test-globalopts.out b/tests/test-globalopts.out
--- a/tests/test-globalopts.out
+++ b/tests/test-globalopts.out
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ list of commands:
  manifest     output the current or given revision of the project manifest
  merge        merge working directory with another revision
  outgoing     show changesets not found in destination
- parents      show the parents of the working dir or revision
+ parents      show the parents of the working directory or revision
  paths        show aliases for remote repositories
  pull         pull changes from the specified source
  push         push changes to the specified destination
@@ -184,9 +184,9 @@ list of commands:
  remove       remove the specified files on the next commit
  rename       rename files; equivalent of copy + remove
  resolve      retry file merges from a merge or update
- revert       restore individual files or dirs to an earlier state
+ revert       restore individual files or directories to an earlier state
  rollback     roll back the last transaction
- root         print the root (top) of the current working dir
+ root         print the root (top) of the current working directory
  serve        export the repository via HTTP
  showconfig   show combined config settings from all hgrc files
  status       show changed files in the working directory
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ list of commands:
  manifest     output the current or given revision of the project manifest
  merge        merge working directory with another revision
  outgoing     show changesets not found in destination
- parents      show the parents of the working dir or revision
+ parents      show the parents of the working directory or revision
  paths        show aliases for remote repositories
  pull         pull changes from the specified source
  push         push changes to the specified destination
@@ -249,9 +249,9 @@ list of commands:
  remove       remove the specified files on the next commit
  rename       rename files; equivalent of copy + remove
  resolve      retry file merges from a merge or update
- revert       restore individual files or dirs to an earlier state
+ revert       restore individual files or directories to an earlier state
  rollback     roll back the last transaction
- root         print the root (top) of the current working dir
+ root         print the root (top) of the current working directory
  serve        export the repository via HTTP
  showconfig   show combined config settings from all hgrc files
  status       show changed files in the working directory
diff --git a/tests/test-help.out b/tests/test-help.out
--- a/tests/test-help.out
+++ b/tests/test-help.out
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ basic commands:
  init       create a new repository in the given directory
  log        show revision history of entire repository or files
  merge      merge working directory with another revision
- parents    show the parents of the working dir or revision
+ parents    show the parents of the working directory or revision
  pull       pull changes from the specified source
  push       push changes to the specified destination
  remove     remove the specified files on the next commit
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ use "hg help" for the full list of comma
  init       create a new repository in the given directory
  log        show revision history of entire repository or files
  merge      merge working directory with another revision
- parents    show the parents of the working dir or revision
+ parents    show the parents of the working directory or revision
  pull       pull changes from the specified source
  push       push changes to the specified destination
  remove     remove the specified files on the next commit
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ list of commands:
  manifest     output the current or given revision of the project manifest
  merge        merge working directory with another revision
  outgoing     show changesets not found in destination
- parents      show the parents of the working dir or revision
+ parents      show the parents of the working directory or revision
  paths        show aliases for remote repositories
  pull         pull changes from the specified source
  push         push changes to the specified destination
@@ -75,9 +75,9 @@ list of commands:
  remove       remove the specified files on the next commit
  rename       rename files; equivalent of copy + remove
  resolve      retry file merges from a merge or update
- revert       restore individual files or dirs to an earlier state
+ revert       restore individual files or directories to an earlier state
  rollback     roll back the last transaction
- root         print the root (top) of the current working dir
+ root         print the root (top) of the current working directory
  serve        export the repository via HTTP
  showconfig   show combined config settings from all hgrc files
  status       show changed files in the working directory
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ use "hg -v help" to show aliases and glo
  manifest     output the current or given revision of the project manifest
  merge        merge working directory with another revision
  outgoing     show changesets not found in destination
- parents      show the parents of the working dir or revision
+ parents      show the parents of the working directory or revision
  paths        show aliases for remote repositories
  pull         pull changes from the specified source
  push         push changes to the specified destination
@@ -136,9 +136,9 @@ use "hg -v help" to show aliases and glo
  remove       remove the specified files on the next commit
  rename       rename files; equivalent of copy + remove
  resolve      retry file merges from a merge or update
- revert       restore individual files or dirs to an earlier state
+ revert       restore individual files or directories to an earlier state
  rollback     roll back the last transaction
- root         print the root (top) of the current working dir
+ root         print the root (top) of the current working directory
  serve        export the repository via HTTP
  showconfig   show combined config settings from all hgrc files
  status       show changed files in the working directory
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ basic commands:
  init       create a new repository in the given directory
  log        show revision history of entire repository or files
  merge      merge working directory with another revision
- parents    show the parents of the working dir or revision
+ parents    show the parents of the working directory or revision
  pull       pull changes from the specified source
  push       push changes to the specified destination
  remove     remove the specified files on the next commit
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ basic commands:
  init       create a new repository in the given directory
  log        show revision history of entire repository or files
  merge      merge working directory with another revision
- parents    show the parents of the working dir or revision
+ parents    show the parents of the working directory or revision
  pull       pull changes from the specified source
  push       push changes to the specified destination
  remove     remove the specified files on the next commit
diff --git a/tests/test-qrecord.out b/tests/test-qrecord.out
--- a/tests/test-qrecord.out
+++ b/tests/test-qrecord.out
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ basic commands:
  init       create a new repository in the given directory
  log        show revision history of entire repository or files
  merge      merge working directory with another revision
- parents    show the parents of the working dir or revision
+ parents    show the parents of the working directory or revision
  pull       pull changes from the specified source
  push       push changes to the specified destination
  remove     remove the specified files on the next commit
diff --git a/tests/test-strict.out b/tests/test-strict.out
--- a/tests/test-strict.out
+++ b/tests/test-strict.out
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ basic commands:
  init       create a new repository in the given directory
  log        show revision history of entire repository or files
  merge      merge working directory with another revision
- parents    show the parents of the working dir or revision
+ parents    show the parents of the working directory or revision
  pull       pull changes from the specified source
  push       push changes to the specified destination
  remove     remove the specified files on the next commit