diff --git a/actionmailer/lib/action_mailer/base.rb b/actionmailer/lib/action_mailer/base.rb
index 8b86d83301..ed4bea0c77 100644
--- a/actionmailer/lib/action_mailer/base.rb
+++ b/actionmailer/lib/action_mailer/base.rb
@@ -737,13 +737,13 @@ module ActionMailer #:nodoc:
         raise "You can no longer call ActionMailer::Base.default_url_options " \
               "directly. You need to set config.action_mailer.default_url_options. " \
               "If you are using ActionMailer standalone, you need to include the " \
-              "url_helpers of a routes directly."
+              "routing url_helpers directly."
       end
     end
 
     # This module will complain if the user tries to set default_url_options
     # directly instead of through the config object. In Action Mailer's Railtie,
-    # we include the url_helpers of the routes, which will override this module
+    # we include the router's url_helpers, which will override this module.
     extend DeprecatedUrlOptions
 
     ActiveSupport.run_load_hooks(:action_mailer, self)
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/deprecated/base.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/deprecated/base.rb
index 16b67b8ee7..3975afcaf0 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/deprecated/base.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/deprecated/base.rb
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ module ActionController
 
       def resource_action_separator=(val)
         ActiveSupport::Deprecation.warn "ActionController::Base.resource_action_separator is deprecated and only " \
-                                        "works with the deprecated routes DSL."
+                                        "works with the deprecated router DSL."
         @resource_action_separator = val
       end
 
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal.rb
index 8166d31719..2281c500c5 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal.rb
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ module ActionController
   #
   # In AbstractController, dispatching is triggered directly by calling #process on a new controller.
   # ActionController::Metal provides an #action method that returns a valid Rack application for a
-  # given action. Other rack builders, such as Rack::Builder, Rack::URLMap, and the Rails routes,
+  # given action. Other rack builders, such as Rack::Builder, Rack::URLMap, and the Rails router,
   # can dispatch directly to the action returned by FooController.action(:index).
   class Metal < AbstractController::Base
     abstract!
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal/url_for.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal/url_for.rb
index 0c1e2fbe80..a51fc5b8e4 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal/url_for.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/metal/url_for.rb
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ module ActionController
     end
 
     def _routes
-      raise "In order to use #url_for, you must include the helpers of a particular " \
-            "routes. For instance, `include Rails.application.routes.url_helpers"
+      raise "In order to use #url_for, you must include routing helpers explicitly. " \
+            "For instance, `include Rails.application.routes.url_helpers"
     end
 
     module ClassMethods
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/deprecated_mapper.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/deprecated_mapper.rb
index 9684b86ed4..e122bdf232 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/deprecated_mapper.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/deprecated_mapper.rb
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ module ActionDispatch
 
     class DeprecatedMapper #:nodoc:
       def initialize(set) #:nodoc:
-        ActiveSupport::Deprecation.warn "You are using the old routes DSL which will be removed in Rails 3.1. " <<
+        ActiveSupport::Deprecation.warn "You are using the old router DSL which will be removed in Rails 3.1. " <<
           "Please check how to update your routes file at: http://www.engineyard.com/blog/2010/the-lowdown-on-routes-in-rails-3/"
         @set = set
       end
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/mapper.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/mapper.rb
index d71005a852..64e12f960d 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/mapper.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/mapper.rb
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ module ActionDispatch
 
           if name_prefix = options.delete(:name_prefix)
             options[:as] ||= name_prefix
-            ActiveSupport::Deprecation.warn ":name_prefix was deprecated in the new routes syntax. Use :as instead.", caller
+            ActiveSupport::Deprecation.warn ":name_prefix was deprecated in the new router syntax. Use :as instead.", caller
           end
 
           case args.first
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb
index 177a6db04e..24f9981f4b 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ module ActionDispatch
         path_options = yield(path_options) if block_given?
         path = generate(path_options, path_segments || {})
 
-        # ROUTES TODO: This can be called directly, so script_name should probably be set in routes
+        # ROUTES TODO: This can be called directly, so script_name should probably be set in the routes
         rewritten_url << (options[:trailing_slash] ? path.sub(/\?|\z/) { "/" + $& } : path)
         rewritten_url << "##{Rack::Mount::Utils.escape_uri(options[:anchor].to_param.to_s)}" if options[:anchor]