diff --git a/src/utils/AbstractDirectedGraph.php b/src/utils/AbstractDirectedGraph.php
--- a/src/utils/AbstractDirectedGraph.php
+++ b/src/utils/AbstractDirectedGraph.php
@@ -91,15 +91,12 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Utility function to get a list of topographically sorted nodes out of a
-   * graph.
+   * Get the nodes in topological order.
    *
-   * This could be useful for example to figure out what order you can safely
-   * apply dependencies.
-   *
-   * Note this will loop indefinitely if the graph has a cycle.
+   * This method requires the graph be acyclic. For graphs which may contain
+   * cycles, see @{method:getNodesInRoughTopologicalOrder}.
    */
-  final public function getTopographicallySortedNodes() {
+  final public function getNodesInTopologicalOrder() {
     $sorted = array();
     $nodes = $this->getNodes();
 
@@ -145,10 +142,17 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Utility function to get the best effort topographically sorted
-   * nodes out of a graph.
+   * Get the nodes in topological order, or some roughly similar order if
+   * the graph contains cycles.
+   *
+   * This method will return an ordering for cyclic graphs. The method will
+   * attempt to make it look like a topological ordering, but since cyclic
+   * graphs have no complete toplogical ordering, you might get anything.
+   *
+   * If you know the graph is acyclic and want an actual topological order,
+   * use @{method:getNodesInTopologicalOrder}.
    */
-  final public function getBestEffortTopographicallySortedNodes() {
+  final public function getNodesInRoughTopologicalOrder() {
     $nodes = $this->getNodes();
     $edges = $this->loadEdges($nodes);
 
diff --git a/src/utils/__tests__/AbstractDirectedGraphTestCase.php b/src/utils/__tests__/AbstractDirectedGraphTestCase.php
--- a/src/utils/__tests__/AbstractDirectedGraphTestCase.php
+++ b/src/utils/__tests__/AbstractDirectedGraphTestCase.php
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
       pht('Exception raised by unloadable edges.'));
   }
 
-  public function testTopographicSortTree() {
+  public function testTopologicalOrder() {
     $graph = array(
       'A' => array('B', 'C'),
       'B' => array('D', 'E'),
@@ -86,12 +86,12 @@
       'E' => array(),
     );
 
-    $sorted = $this->getTopographicSort($graph);
+    $sorted = $this->getTopologicalOrder($graph);
 
     $this->assertEqual(
       array('A', 'C', 'B', 'E', 'D'),
       $sorted,
-      pht('Topographically sorted tree.'));
+      pht('Topologically sorted tree.'));
 
     $graph = array(
       'A' => array('B', 'C'),
@@ -101,15 +101,15 @@
       'E' => array(),
     );
 
-    $sorted = $this->getTopographicSort($graph);
+    $sorted = $this->getTopologicalOrder($graph);
 
     $this->assertEqual(
       array('A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E'),
       $sorted,
-      pht('Topographically sorted tree with nesting.'));
+      pht('Topologically sorted tree with nesting.'));
   }
 
-  public function testBestEffortTopographicSortTree() {
+  public function testRoughTopologicalOrder() {
     $graph = array(
       'A' => array('B', 'C'),
       'B' => array('D', 'E'),
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
       'H' => array('G'),
     );
 
-    $sorted = $this->getBestEffortTopographicSort($graph);
+    $sorted = $this->getRoughTopologicalOrder($graph);
 
     $this->assertEqual(count($graph), count($sorted));
 
@@ -161,19 +161,19 @@
     return $detector->detectCycles($search);
   }
 
-  private function getTopographicSort(array $graph, $seed = 'A') {
+  private function getTopologicalOrder(array $graph, $seed = 'A') {
     $detector = new TestAbstractDirectedGraph();
     $detector->setTestData($graph);
     $detector->addNodes(array_select_keys($graph, array($seed)));
     $detector->loadGraph();
-    return $detector->getTopographicallySortedNodes();
+    return $detector->getNodesInTopologicalOrder();
   }
 
-  private function getBestEffortTopographicSort(array $graph) {
+  private function getRoughTopologicalOrder(array $graph) {
     $detector = new TestAbstractDirectedGraph();
     $detector->setTestData($graph);
     $detector->addNodes(array_keys($graph));
-    return $detector->getBestEffortTopographicallySortedNodes();
+    return $detector->getNodesInRoughTopologicalOrder();
   }
 
 }