diff --git a/web/src/dialogs.ts b/web/src/dialogs.ts
index 1ffaa82..a5714da 100644
--- a/web/src/dialogs.ts
+++ b/web/src/dialogs.ts
@@ -365,8 +365,8 @@ function due(ts){
 /// admin is sent (issue #19); this used to hold them too, shown to admins only.
 function deadSavedText(me){
   const s=me&&me.deadair_saved||0;
-  return s?`It has saved you ${spanText(s)}, on episodes you heard three quarters of or more.`
-    :'Turn it on in a show\'s settings, or beside the speed while it plays, to shorten its long silences.';
+  return s?`It has saved you ${spanText(s)} of dead air, on episodes you heard three quarters of or more.`
+    :'Turn it on in a show\'s settings, or beside the speed while it plays, to cut the dead air from it.';
 }
 
 async function prefsModal(){
@@ -528,8 +528,9 @@ function settingsModal(f, newUrl?: string){
       ${sw(`<input type="checkbox" role="switch" id="sexp"${f.allow_explicit?' checked':''}>`,'Include explicit items')}
     </div></div></div></div>
     <div class="ffield">${sw(`<input type="checkbox" role="switch" id="sdead"${f.deadair?' checked':''}>`,'DeadAir',' lead')}
-      <p class="cap">Plays ${isGroup?'these shows':'this show'} with long silences shortened, so episodes finish
-      sooner without sounding sped up. Leave it off for readings whose pauses matter.</p></div>
+      <p class="cap">Cuts the dead air: long silences in ${isGroup?'these shows':'this show'} shrink to a beat, so
+      episodes finish sooner and every voice keeps its own pace. Leave it off for stories whose pauses
+      are part of the telling.</p></div>
     ${isGroup?'':`<div class="ffield"><label class="flabel" for="sblockin">Hide items that mention</label>
       <div class="chips" id="sblock">${chipsHTML(f.blocked||[],'sblockin')}</div>
       <p class="cap">Whole words or phrases. Hidden from your list and not downloaded for you, along
diff --git a/web/src/items.ts b/web/src/items.ts
index 4d4e01e..8cf90b7 100644
--- a/web/src/items.ts
+++ b/web/src/items.ts
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ function epEl(e){
         num&&`<span>${num}</span>`,
         left&&`<span>${left}</span>`,
         others>0&&`<span>+${others} more file${others===1?'':'s'}</span>`,
-        enc&&enc.deadair>0&&`<span title="DeadAir shortened its long silences">${shorter(enc.deadair)}</span>`,
+        enc&&enc.deadair>0&&`<span title="DeadAir cut its dead air">${shorter(enc.deadair)}</span>`,
         enc&&enc.last_error&&enc.state==='error'&&`<span style="color:var(--bad)">${esc(enc.last_error)}</span>`,
       ].filter(Boolean).join('<span class="dot"></span>')}</div>
     </div>
diff --git a/web/src/player.ts b/web/src/player.ts
index 1eba2ab..0cdbddc 100644
--- a/web/src/player.ts
+++ b/web/src/player.ts
@@ -124,8 +124,7 @@ function paintDead(){
   if(b.hidden) return;
   b.setAttribute('aria-pressed',String(!!f.deadair));
   b.innerHTML=f.deadair?ICON.deadairOn:ICON.deadair;
-  b.title=f.deadair?'DeadAir is on for this show: long silences are shortened'
-    :'Turn on DeadAir for this show: long silences are shortened';
+  b.title=f.deadair?'DeadAir is cutting the dead air from this show':'DeadAir: cut the dead air from this show';
 }
 $('#pdead').onclick=async()=>{
   const f=S.feeds.find(x=>x.id===player.feed); if(!f) return;
@@ -134,8 +133,8 @@ $('#pdead').onclick=async()=>{
   catch(err){ toast(err.message,true); return; }
   f.deadair=on; paintDead();
   const switched=await switchVersion();
-  toast(!on?'DeadAir is off for this show':switched?'DeadAir is on for this show'
-    :'DeadAir is on for this show. Each episode is shortened a few minutes after it downloads.');
+  toast(!on?'DeadAir is off for this show':switched?'DeadAir is cutting the dead air from this show'
+    :'DeadAir is on for this show. Episodes lose their dead air a few minutes after they download.');
   renderEntries();
 };
 /// Carries on at the same place in the other version of what is playing, once DeadAir has been