diff --git a/src/cmd/idea/add.go b/src/cmd/idea/add.go
index 7e31e12..13130f3 100644
--- a/src/cmd/idea/add.go
+++ b/src/cmd/idea/add.go
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ The idea is appended as a Markdown checklist line with a generated 4-char ID
 and today's date. Use --id and --date to override those generated values
 (handy when importing or backdating). By default the command writes the
 current worktree's backlog; --main targets the main worktree's backlog,
---system targets the system-level backlog ($XDG_CONFIG_HOME/idea/backlog.md,
-else ~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and
+--system targets the system-level backlog (~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and
 --file / IDEAS_FILE point at a different file (see "idea --help"). Outside a
 git repo the system backlog is used automatically.
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/idea/done.go b/src/cmd/idea/done.go
index 0b596d0..eb9efbe 100644
--- a/src/cmd/idea/done.go
+++ b/src/cmd/idea/done.go
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ func doneCmd() *cobra.Command {
 its text. If the query matches more than one open idea it is refused and the
 ambiguous matches are listed, so you can be more specific or use the exact ID.
 --main targets the main worktree's backlog, --system targets the system-level
-backlog ($XDG_CONFIG_HOME/idea/backlog.md, else ~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and
---file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere (see "idea --help"). Outside a git repo the
-system backlog is used automatically.
+backlog (~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and --file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere
+(see "idea --help"). Outside a git repo the system backlog is used
+automatically.
 
   idea done a7k2
   idea done "dark mode"`,
diff --git a/src/cmd/idea/edit.go b/src/cmd/idea/edit.go
index 262a23e..6f3ee32 100644
--- a/src/cmd/idea/edit.go
+++ b/src/cmd/idea/edit.go
@@ -27,9 +27,8 @@ substring of its text. If it matches more than one idea it is refused and the
 ambiguous matches are listed, so you can be more specific or use the exact ID.
 --id and --date additionally change the matched idea's ID or date. --main
 targets the main worktree's backlog, --system targets the system-level backlog
-($XDG_CONFIG_HOME/idea/backlog.md, else ~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and
---file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere (see "idea --help"). Outside a git repo the
-system backlog is used automatically.
+(~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and --file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere (see
+"idea --help"). Outside a git repo the system backlog is used automatically.
 
   idea edit a7k2 "wire up dark mode toggle"
   idea edit a7k2                  # open the current text in your editor
diff --git a/src/cmd/idea/fmt.go b/src/cmd/idea/fmt.go
index ea9cd9e..acd7f38 100644
--- a/src/cmd/idea/fmt.go
+++ b/src/cmd/idea/fmt.go
@@ -29,9 +29,8 @@ stdout stays empty; the report (one "adopted:" line per adopted idea plus
 summary counts) goes to stderr. --check writes nothing, prints the same report,
 and exits 1 when the file would change, 0 when it is already canonical. --main
 targets the main worktree's backlog, --system targets the system-level backlog
-($XDG_CONFIG_HOME/idea/backlog.md, else ~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and
---file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere (see "idea --help"). Outside a git repo the
-system backlog is used automatically.
+(~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and --file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere (see
+"idea --help"). Outside a git repo the system backlog is used automatically.
 
   idea fmt
   idea fmt --check`,
diff --git a/src/cmd/idea/list.go b/src/cmd/idea/list.go
index e453e8b..5953e1a 100644
--- a/src/cmd/idea/list.go
+++ b/src/cmd/idea/list.go
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ prefix is never clipped) and the prefix is dimmed; --full shows the complete
 text. When the output is piped or redirected, full canonical lines are emitted
 regardless of --full so downstream tools see machine-parseable records. As with
 every backlog command, --main targets the main worktree's backlog, --system
-targets the system-level backlog ($XDG_CONFIG_HOME/idea/backlog.md, else
-~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and --file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere (see
-"idea --help"). Outside a git repo the system backlog is used automatically.
+targets the system-level backlog (~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and
+--file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere (see "idea --help"). Outside a git repo the
+system backlog is used automatically.
 
   idea list
   idea list --all --sort id
diff --git a/src/cmd/idea/main.go b/src/cmd/idea/main.go
index 848436f..4966e90 100644
--- a/src/cmd/idea/main.go
+++ b/src/cmd/idea/main.go
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ Shorthand: "idea <text>" is equivalent to "idea add <text>".`,
 		},
 	}
 
-	root.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&fileFlag, "file", "", "Override backlog file path (relative to the git root, or to the system config dir $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/idea — else ~/.config/idea — when outside a repo)")
+	root.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&fileFlag, "file", "", "Override backlog file path (relative to the git root, or to ~/.config/idea when outside a repo)")
 	root.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&mainFlag, "main", false, "Operate on the main worktree's backlog instead of the current worktree")
-	root.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&systemFlag, "system", false, "Operate on the system-level backlog ($XDG_CONFIG_HOME/idea/backlog.md, else ~/.config/idea/backlog.md) instead of a repo backlog")
+	root.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&systemFlag, "system", false, "Operate on the system-level backlog (~/.config/idea/backlog.md) instead of a repo backlog")
 
 	root.AddCommand(
 		addCmd(),
diff --git a/src/cmd/idea/prune.go b/src/cmd/idea/prune.go
index 7247ed2..0a171d1 100644
--- a/src/cmd/idea/prune.go
+++ b/src/cmd/idea/prune.go
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ printing only a count. There is no archive — the backlog is committed, so git
 history is the recovery path. Long idea text is truncated to the terminal width
 (--full shows it in full); piped output is always full and machine-parseable.
 --main targets the main worktree's backlog, --system targets the system-level
-backlog ($XDG_CONFIG_HOME/idea/backlog.md, else ~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and
---file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere (see "idea --help"). Outside a git repo the
-system backlog is used automatically.
+backlog (~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and --file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere
+(see "idea --help"). Outside a git repo the system backlog is used
+automatically.
 
   idea prune
   idea prune --force`,
diff --git a/src/cmd/idea/reopen.go b/src/cmd/idea/reopen.go
index 1f22724..1ed5c9f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/idea/reopen.go
+++ b/src/cmd/idea/reopen.go
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ func reopenCmd() *cobra.Command {
 its text. If the query matches more than one done idea it is refused and the
 ambiguous matches are listed, so you can be more specific or use the exact ID.
 --main targets the main worktree's backlog, --system targets the system-level
-backlog ($XDG_CONFIG_HOME/idea/backlog.md, else ~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and
---file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere (see "idea --help"). Outside a git repo the
-system backlog is used automatically.
+backlog (~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and --file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere
+(see "idea --help"). Outside a git repo the system backlog is used
+automatically.
 
   idea reopen a7k2
   idea reopen "dark mode"`,
diff --git a/src/cmd/idea/rm.go b/src/cmd/idea/rm.go
index 61cad66..ac73324 100644
--- a/src/cmd/idea/rm.go
+++ b/src/cmd/idea/rm.go
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ substring of its text. If it matches more than one idea it is refused and the
 ambiguous matches are listed, so you can be more specific or use the exact ID.
 --force is required to confirm the deletion; without it the command refuses to
 remove anything. --main targets the main worktree's backlog, --system targets
-the system-level backlog ($XDG_CONFIG_HOME/idea/backlog.md, else
-~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and --file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere (see
-"idea --help"). Outside a git repo the system backlog is used automatically.
+the system-level backlog (~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and --file / IDEAS_FILE
+point elsewhere (see "idea --help"). Outside a git repo the system backlog is
+used automatically.
 
   idea rm a7k2 --force`,
 		Args: cobra.ExactArgs(1),
diff --git a/src/cmd/idea/show.go b/src/cmd/idea/show.go
index 1f782f0..9195e62 100644
--- a/src/cmd/idea/show.go
+++ b/src/cmd/idea/show.go
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ substring of its text. If it matches more than one idea it is refused and the
 ambiguous matches are listed, so you can be more specific or use the exact ID.
 --json emits the structured record (id, date, status, text) instead of the
 formatted line. --main targets the main worktree's backlog, --system targets
-the system-level backlog ($XDG_CONFIG_HOME/idea/backlog.md, else
-~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and --file / IDEAS_FILE point elsewhere (see
-"idea --help"). Outside a git repo the system backlog is used automatically.
+the system-level backlog (~/.config/idea/backlog.md), and --file / IDEAS_FILE
+point elsewhere (see "idea --help"). Outside a git repo the system backlog is
+used automatically.
 
   idea show a7k2
   idea show "dark mode" --json`,