diff --git a/src/hu_stuff.c b/src/hu_stuff.c
index 9e708e1cf..87e888eeb 100644
--- a/src/hu_stuff.c
+++ b/src/hu_stuff.c
@@ -1073,11 +1073,11 @@ static void HU_queueChatChar(char c)
 
 		if (strlen(msg) > 4 && strnicmp(msg, "/pm", 3) == 0) // used /pm
 		{
-			INT32 spc = 1; // used if nodenum[1] is a space.
-			char nodenum[3];
+			INT32 spc = 1; // used if playernum[1] is a space.
+			char playernum[3];
 			const char *newmsg;
 
-			// what we're gonna do now is check if the node exists
+			// what we're gonna do now is check if the player exists
 			// with that logic, characters 4 and 5 are our numbers:
 
 			// teamtalk can't send PMs, just don't send it, else everyone would be able to see it, and no one wants to see your sex RP sicko.
@@ -1087,17 +1087,17 @@ static void HU_queueChatChar(char c)
 				return;
 			}
 
-			strncpy(nodenum, msg+3, 3);
+			strncpy(playernum, msg+3, 3);
 			// check for undesirable characters in our "number"
-			if (((nodenum[0] < '0') || (nodenum[0] > '9')) || ((nodenum[1] < '0') || (nodenum[1] > '9')))
+			if (((playernum[0] < '0') || (playernum[0] > '9')) || ((playernum[1] < '0') || (playernum[1] > '9')))
 			{
-				// check if nodenum[1] is a space
-				if (nodenum[1] == ' ')
+				// check if playernum[1] is a space
+				if (playernum[1] == ' ')
 					spc = 0;
 					// let it slide
 				else
 				{
-					HU_AddChatText("\x82NOTICE: \x80Invalid command format. Correct format is \'/pm<node> \'.", false);
+					HU_AddChatText("\x82NOTICE: \x80Invalid command format. Correct format is \'/pm<player num> \'.", false);
 					return;
 				}
 			}
@@ -1106,12 +1106,12 @@ static void HU_queueChatChar(char c)
 			{
 				if (msg[5] != ' ')
 				{
-					HU_AddChatText("\x82NOTICE: \x80Invalid command format. Correct format is \'/pm<node> \'.", false);
+					HU_AddChatText("\x82NOTICE: \x80Invalid command format. Correct format is \'/pm<player num> \'.", false);
 					return;
 				}
 			}
 
-			target = atoi(nodenum); // turn that into a number
+			target = atoi(playernum); // turn that into a number
 			//CONS_Printf("%d\n", target);
 
 			// check for target player, if it doesn't exist then we can't send the message!
@@ -1123,7 +1123,7 @@ static void HU_queueChatChar(char c)
 				return;
 			}
 
-			// we need to get rid of the /pm<node>
+			// we need to get rid of the /pm<player num>
 			newmsg = msg+5+spc;
 			strlcpy(msg, newmsg, 255);
 		}
@@ -1782,14 +1782,14 @@ static void HU_DrawChat(void)
 			// filter: (code needs optimization pls help I'm bad with C)
 			if (w_chat[3])
 			{
-				char nodenum[3];
+				char playernum[3];
 				UINT32 n;
 				// right, that's half important: (w_chat[4] may be a space since /pm0 msg is perfectly acceptable!)
 				if ( ( ((w_chat[3] != 0) && ((w_chat[3] < '0') || (w_chat[3] > '9'))) || ((w_chat[4] != 0) && (((w_chat[4] < '0') || (w_chat[4] > '9'))))) && (w_chat[4] != ' '))
 					break;
 
-				strncpy(nodenum, w_chat+3, 3);
-				n = atoi(nodenum); // turn that into a number
+				strncpy(playernum, w_chat+3, 3);
+				n = atoi(playernum); // turn that into a number
 				// special cases:
 
 				if ((n == 0) && !(w_chat[4] == '0'))