diff --git a/eo/src/eoInit.h b/eo/src/eoInit.h
index ac875b24..af0198ee 100644
--- a/eo/src/eoInit.h
+++ b/eo/src/eoInit.h
@@ -55,18 +55,18 @@ class eoInitFixedLength: public eoInit<EOT>
 
     typedef typename EOT::AtomType AtomType;
 
-        eoInitFixedLength(unsigned _howmany, eoRndGenerator<AtomType>& _generator)
-            : howmany(_howmany), generator(_generator) {}
+        eoInitFixedLength(unsigned _combien, eoRndGenerator<AtomType>& _generator)
+            : combien(_combien), generator(_generator) {}
 
         void operator()(EOT& chrom)
         {
-            chrom.resize(howmany);
+            chrom.resize(combien);
             std::generate(chrom.begin(), chrom.end(), generator);
             chrom.invalidate();
         }
 
     private :
-        unsigned howmany;
+        unsigned combien;
         /// generic wrapper for eoFunctor (s), to make them have the function-pointer style copy semantics
         eoSTLF<AtomType> generator;
 };
@@ -87,8 +87,7 @@ class eoInitVariableLength: public eoInit<EOT>
 
         void operator()(EOT& chrom)
         {
-            unsigned howmany = offset + rng.random(extent);
-            chrom.resize(howmany);
+            chrom.resize(offset + rng.random(extent));
             generate(chrom.begin(), chrom.end(), generator);
             chrom.invalidate();
         }
diff --git a/eo/src/eoMerge.h b/eo/src/eoMerge.h
index ae8b00be..27e6e49b 100644
--- a/eo/src/eoMerge.h
+++ b/eo/src/eoMerge.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ template <class EOT> class eoElitism : public eoMerge<EOT>
 {
 public :
   eoElitism(double  _rate, bool _interpret_as_rate = true):
-    rate(0), howmany(0)
+    rate(0), combien(0)
   {
     if (_interpret_as_rate)
       {
@@ -68,27 +68,27 @@ public :
       {
 	if (_rate<0)
 	  throw std::logic_error("Negative number of offspring in eoElitism!");
-	howmany = (unsigned int)_rate;
-	if (howmany != _rate)
+	combien = (unsigned int)_rate;
+	if (combien != _rate)
 	  cout << "Warning: Number of guys to merge in eoElitism was rounded";
       }
   }
   
   void operator()(const eoPop<EOT>& _pop, eoPop<EOT>& _offspring)
   {
-    if ((howmany == 0) && (rate == 0.0))
+    if ((combien == 0) && (rate == 0.0))
       return;
-    unsigned howmanyLocal;
-    if (howmany == 0)	   // rate is specified
-      howmanyLocal = (unsigned int) (rate * _pop.size());
+    unsigned combienLocal;
+    if (combien == 0)	   // rate is specified
+      combienLocal = (unsigned int) (rate * _pop.size());
     else
-      howmanyLocal = howmany;
+      combienLocal = combien;
     
-    if (howmanyLocal > _pop.size())
+    if (combienLocal > _pop.size())
       throw std::logic_error("Elite larger than population");
     
     vector<const EOT*> result;
-    _pop.nth_element(howmanyLocal, result);
+    _pop.nth_element(combienLocal, result);
     
     for (size_t i = 0; i < result.size(); ++i)
       {
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ public :
   
 private :
   double rate;
-  unsigned howmany;
+  unsigned combien;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/eo/src/utils/eoHowMany.h b/eo/src/utils/eoHowMany.h
index 7776b6c2..fcdce596 100644
--- a/eo/src/utils/eoHowMany.h
+++ b/eo/src/utils/eoHowMany.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class eoHowMany
 {
 public:
   eoHowMany(double  _rate, bool _interpret_as_rate = true):
-    rate(0), howmany(0)
+    rate(0), combien(0)
   {
     if (_interpret_as_rate)
       {
@@ -50,27 +50,27 @@ public:
       {
 	if (_rate<0)
 	  throw std::logic_error("Negative number in eoHowMany!");
-	howmany = (unsigned int)_rate;
-	if (howmany != _rate)
+	combien = (unsigned int)_rate;
+	if (combien != _rate)
 	  cout << "Warning: Number was rounded in eoHowMany";
       }
   }
 
   unsigned int operator()(unsigned int _size)
   {
-    if (howmany == 0)
+    if (combien == 0)
       {
 	if (rate == 0.0)
 	  return 0;
 	else
 	  return (unsigned int) (rate * _size);
       }
-    return howmany;
+    return combien;
   }
   
 private :
   double rate;
-  unsigned howmany;
+  unsigned combien;
 };