diff --git a/src/workflow/ArcanistLintWorkflow.php b/src/workflow/ArcanistLintWorkflow.php
--- a/src/workflow/ArcanistLintWorkflow.php
+++ b/src/workflow/ArcanistLintWorkflow.php
@@ -135,7 +135,9 @@
           'patches suggested by lint without prompting.'),
       ),
       'everything' => array(
-        'help' => pht('Lint all files in the project.'),
+        'help' => pht(
+          'Lint all tracked files in the working copy. Ignored files and '.
+          'untracked files will not be linted.'),
         'conflicts' => array(
           'cache' => pht('%s lints all files', '--everything'),
           'rev' => pht('%s lints all files', '--everything'),
@@ -200,7 +202,8 @@
     if ($everything && $paths) {
       throw new ArcanistUsageException(
         pht(
-          'You can not specify paths with %s. The %s flag lints every file.',
+          'You can not specify paths with %s. The %s flag lints every '.
+          'tracked file in the working copy.',
           '--everything',
           '--everything'));
     }
diff --git a/src/workflow/ArcanistUnitWorkflow.php b/src/workflow/ArcanistUnitWorkflow.php
--- a/src/workflow/ArcanistUnitWorkflow.php
+++ b/src/workflow/ArcanistUnitWorkflow.php
@@ -91,7 +91,9 @@
           'Harbormaster build target.'),
       ),
       'everything' => array(
-        'help' => pht('Run every test.'),
+        'help' => pht(
+          'Run every test associated with a tracked file in the working '.
+          'copy.'),
         'conflicts' => array(
           'rev' => pht('%s runs all tests.', '--everything'),
         ),
@@ -134,7 +136,8 @@
     if ($everything && $paths) {
       throw new ArcanistUsageException(
         pht(
-          'You can not specify paths with %s. The %s flag runs every test.',
+          'You can not specify paths with %s. The %s flag runs every test '.
+          'associated with a tracked file in the working copy.',
           '--everything',
           '--everything'));
     }