diff --git a/scrapy/commands/genspider.py b/scrapy/commands/genspider.py
index e8abafac1..5317ceb87 100644
--- a/scrapy/commands/genspider.py
+++ b/scrapy/commands/genspider.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class Command(ScrapyCommand):
         return "[options] <name> <domain>"
 
     def short_desc(self):
-        return "Generate new spider based on template passed with -t or --template"
+        return "Generate new spider using pre-defined templates"
 
     def add_options(self, parser):
         ScrapyCommand.add_options(self, parser)
diff --git a/scrapy/commands/parse.py b/scrapy/commands/parse.py
index 411e52371..2d548c39e 100644
--- a/scrapy/commands/parse.py
+++ b/scrapy/commands/parse.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class Command(ScrapyCommand):
         return "[options] <url>"
 
     def short_desc(self):
-        return "Parse the given URL (using the spider) and print the results"
+        return "Parse URL (using its spider) and print the results"
 
     def add_options(self, parser):
         ScrapyCommand.add_options(self, parser)
diff --git a/scrapy/commands/runspider.py b/scrapy/commands/runspider.py
index c1f264edf..f9cb7a1c4 100644
--- a/scrapy/commands/runspider.py
+++ b/scrapy/commands/runspider.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class Command(ScrapyCommand):
         return "[options] <spider_file>"
 
     def short_desc(self):
-        return "Run a spider"
+        return "Run a self-contained spider (without creating a project)"
 
     def long_desc(self):
         return "Run the spider defined in the given file"
diff --git a/scrapy/commands/settings.py b/scrapy/commands/settings.py
index 6861e1b3f..22406227f 100644
--- a/scrapy/commands/settings.py
+++ b/scrapy/commands/settings.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ class Command(ScrapyCommand):
         return "[options]"
 
     def short_desc(self):
-        return "Query Scrapy settings"
+        return "Get settings values"
 
     def add_options(self, parser):
         ScrapyCommand.add_options(self, parser)
diff --git a/scrapy/commands/startproject.py b/scrapy/commands/startproject.py
index ced1c7475..b398f78e0 100644
--- a/scrapy/commands/startproject.py
+++ b/scrapy/commands/startproject.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class Command(ScrapyCommand):
         return "<project_name>"
 
     def short_desc(self):
-        return "Create new project with an initial project template"
+        return "Create new project"
 
     def run(self, args, opts):
         if len(args) != 1:
diff --git a/scrapy/commands/view.py b/scrapy/commands/view.py
index 3d24cf675..679c51a67 100644
--- a/scrapy/commands/view.py
+++ b/scrapy/commands/view.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from scrapy.utils.response import open_in_browser
 class Command(fetch.Command):
 
     def short_desc(self):
-        return "Open a URL in browser, as seen by Scrapy"
+        return "Open URL in browser, as seen by Scrapy"
 
     def long_desc(self):
         return "Fetch a URL using the Scrapy downloader and show its " \