diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/edit_metadata.py b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/edit_metadata.py
index 11949632e9..b01ab1ba21 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/edit_metadata.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/edit_metadata.py
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ class EditMetadataAction(InterfaceAction):
             x = _('social metadata')
         else:
             x = _('covers') if covers and not set_metadata else _('metadata')
-        title = _('Downloading %s for %d book(s)')%(x, len(ids))
+        title = _('Downloading {0} for {1} book(s)').format(x, len(ids))
         self._download_book_metadata = DoDownload(self.gui, title, db, ids,
                 get_covers=covers, set_metadata=set_metadata,
                 get_social_metadata=get_social_metadata)
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/catalog.py b/src/calibre/library/catalog.py
index 62d172d6e2..2c7d4c4f21 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/catalog.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/catalog.py
@@ -599,10 +599,10 @@ class EPUB_MOBI(CatalogPlugin):
                           default=('~,'+_('Catalog')),
                           dest='exclude_tags',
                           action = None,
-                          help=_("Comma-separated list of tag words indicating book should be excluded from output.  Case-insensitive.\n"
-                          "--exclude-tags=skip will match 'skip this book' and 'Skip will like this'.\n"
-                          "Default: '%default'\n"
-                          "Applies to: ePub, MOBI output formats")),
+                          help=_("Comma-separated list of tag words indicating book should be excluded from output."
+                              "For example: 'skip' will match 'skip this book' and 'Skip will like this'."
+                              "Default: '%default'\n"
+                              "Applies to: ePub, MOBI output formats")),
                    Option('--generate-descriptions',
                           default=True,
                           dest='generate_descriptions',
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/cli.py b/src/calibre/library/cli.py
index c98b3be4d3..43891a64c4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/cli.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/cli.py
@@ -986,8 +986,8 @@ def command_restore_database(args, dbpath):
         return 1
 
     if not opts.really_do_it:
-        prints(_('You must provide the --really-do-it option to do a'
-            ' recovery'), end='\n\n')
+        prints(_('You must provide the %s option to do a'
+            ' recovery')%'--really-do-it', end='\n\n')
         parser.print_help()
         return 1
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/web/fetch/simple.py b/src/calibre/web/fetch/simple.py
index 8cbc0bb9d1..67f19e40e4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/web/fetch/simple.py
+++ b/src/calibre/web/fetch/simple.py
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ def option_parser(usage=_('%prog URL\n\nWhere URL is for example http://google.c
     parser.add_option('--match-regexp', default=[], action='append', dest='match_regexps',
                       help=_('Only links that match this regular expression will be followed. This option can be specified multiple times, in which case as long as a link matches any one regexp, it will be followed. By default all links are followed.'))
     parser.add_option('--filter-regexp', default=[], action='append', dest='filter_regexps',
-                      help=_('Any link that matches this regular expression will be ignored. This option can be specified multiple times, in which case as long as any regexp matches a link, it will be ignored.By default, no links are ignored. If both --filter-regexp and --match-regexp are specified, then --filter-regexp is applied first.'))
+                      help=_('Any link that matches this regular expression will be ignored. This option can be specified multiple times, in which case as long as any regexp matches a link, it will be ignored.By default, no links are ignored. If both filter regexp and match regexp are specified, then filter regexp is applied first.'))
     parser.add_option('--dont-download-stylesheets', action='store_true', default=False,
                       help=_('Do not download CSS stylesheets.'), dest='no_stylesheets')
     parser.add_option('--verbose', help=_('Show detailed output information. Useful for debugging'),