diff --git a/tests/bionic_allocator_test.cpp b/tests/bionic_allocator_test.cpp
index f710907..fdcf868 100644
--- a/tests/bionic_allocator_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/bionic_allocator_test.cpp
@@ -42,19 +42,19 @@
  * this one has size below allocator cap which is 2*sizeof(void*)
  */
 struct test_struct_small {
-  char dummy_str[5];
+  char str[5];
 };
 
 struct test_struct_large {
-  char dummy_str[1009];
+  char str[1009];
 };
 
 struct test_struct_huge {
-  char dummy_str[73939];
+  char str[73939];
 };
 
 struct test_struct_512 {
-  char dummy_str[503];
+  char str[503];
 };
 
 };
diff --git a/tests/dlext_test.cpp b/tests/dlext_test.cpp
index 1139e53..4c4a1c3 100644
--- a/tests/dlext_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/dlext_test.cpp
@@ -2022,7 +2022,7 @@
     }
   }
 
-  // some sanity checks..
+  // Some validity checks.
   ASSERT_TRUE(addr_start > 0);
   ASSERT_TRUE(addr_end > 0);
   ASSERT_TRUE(maps_to_copy.size() > 0);
diff --git a/tests/ftw_test.cpp b/tests/ftw_test.cpp
index dfc4d72..200ed4b 100644
--- a/tests/ftw_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/ftw_test.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
   ASSERT_EQ(0, close(fd));
 }
 
-void sanity_check_ftw(const char* fpath, const struct stat* sb, int tflag) {
+void smoke_test_ftw(const char* fpath, const struct stat* sb, int tflag) {
   ASSERT_TRUE(fpath != nullptr);
   ASSERT_TRUE(sb != nullptr);
 
@@ -75,28 +75,28 @@
   }
 }
 
-void sanity_check_nftw(const char* fpath, const struct stat* sb, int tflag, FTW* ftwbuf) {
-  sanity_check_ftw(fpath, sb, tflag);
+void smoke_test_nftw(const char* fpath, const struct stat* sb, int tflag, FTW* ftwbuf) {
+  smoke_test_ftw(fpath, sb, tflag);
   ASSERT_EQ('/', fpath[ftwbuf->base - 1]) << fpath;
 }
 
 int check_ftw(const char* fpath, const struct stat* sb, int tflag) {
-  sanity_check_ftw(fpath, sb, tflag);
+  smoke_test_ftw(fpath, sb, tflag);
   return 0;
 }
 
 int check_ftw64(const char* fpath, const struct stat64* sb, int tflag) {
-  sanity_check_ftw(fpath, reinterpret_cast<const struct stat*>(sb), tflag);
+  smoke_test_ftw(fpath, reinterpret_cast<const struct stat*>(sb), tflag);
   return 0;
 }
 
 int check_nftw(const char* fpath, const struct stat* sb, int tflag, FTW* ftwbuf) {
-  sanity_check_nftw(fpath, sb, tflag, ftwbuf);
+  smoke_test_nftw(fpath, sb, tflag, ftwbuf);
   return 0;
 }
 
 int check_nftw64(const char* fpath, const struct stat64* sb, int tflag, FTW* ftwbuf) {
-  sanity_check_nftw(fpath, reinterpret_cast<const struct stat*>(sb), tflag, ftwbuf);
+  smoke_test_nftw(fpath, reinterpret_cast<const struct stat*>(sb), tflag, ftwbuf);
   return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/libs/dlopen_b.cpp b/tests/libs/dlopen_b.cpp
index cd81e16..092c96c 100644
--- a/tests/libs/dlopen_b.cpp
+++ b/tests/libs/dlopen_b.cpp
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
 #include <dlfcn.h>
 extern "C" void *dlopen_b() {
-  // TODO (dimitry): this is to work around http://b/20049306
-  // remove once it is fixed
-  static int dummy = 0;
+  // Work around for http://b/20049306, which isn't going to be fixed.
+  static int defeat_sibling_call_optimization = 0;
 
   // This is supposed to succeed because this library has DT_RUNPATH
   // for libtest_dt_runpath_x.so which should be taken into account
   // by dlopen.
   void *handle = dlopen("libtest_dt_runpath_x.so", RTLD_NOW);
   if (handle != nullptr) {
-    dummy++;
+    defeat_sibling_call_optimization++;
     return handle;
   }
   return nullptr;
diff --git a/tests/libs/elftls_dynamic.cpp b/tests/libs/elftls_dynamic.cpp
index 6da2f6f..2500484 100644
--- a/tests/libs/elftls_dynamic.cpp
+++ b/tests/libs/elftls_dynamic.cpp
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@
 // section, but does not have an entry in the dynsym table and whose
 // solib-relative address appears to overlap with the large TLS variable.
 extern "C" void* get_local_addr() {
-  static char dummy[1024];
-  return &dummy[512];
+  static char buf[1024];
+  return &buf[512];
 }
 
 // This variable comes from libtest_elftls_shared_var.so, which is part of
diff --git a/tests/link_test.cpp b/tests/link_test.cpp
index 75bb4d6..127a3d9 100644
--- a/tests/link_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/link_test.cpp
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@
   ASSERT_TRUE(entries != nullptr);
   ASSERT_GT(count, 0);
 
-  // Sanity checks
+  // Validity checks.
   uintptr_t func = reinterpret_cast<uintptr_t>(read_exidx_func);
   bool found = false;
   for (int i = 0; i < count; ++i) {
diff --git a/tests/stdatomic_test.cpp b/tests/stdatomic_test.cpp
index 11d41b4..7b98df2 100644
--- a/tests/stdatomic_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/stdatomic_test.cpp
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@
   atomic_uint_least32_t z;
 };
 
-// Very simple acquire/release memory ordering sanity check.
+// Very simple acquire/release memory ordering smoke test.
 static void* writer(void* arg) {
   three_atomics* a = reinterpret_cast<three_atomics*>(arg);
   for (uint_least32_t i = 0; i <= BIG; i+=2) {
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@
 }
 
 TEST(stdatomic, ordering) {
-  // Run a memory ordering sanity test.
+  // Run a memory ordering smoke test.
   void* result;
   three_atomics a;
   atomic_init(&a.x, 0ul);