diff --git a/features/hooks/halt.feature b/features/hooks/halt.feature
index 2d0a2feddd..31e8f7dc42 100644
--- a/features/hooks/halt.feature
+++ b/features/hooks/halt.feature
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Feature: halt
       """
       RSpec.configure do |c|
         c.after(:each) do
-          running_example.halt(:group, :status => 'failed')
+          example.halt(:group, :status => 'failed')
         end
       end
       describe "something" do
diff --git a/lib/rspec/core/example.rb b/lib/rspec/core/example.rb
index 825866f416..35a2d66fbd 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/core/example.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/core/example.rb
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ def in_block?
       def run(example_group_instance, reporter)
         @in_block = false
         @example_group_instance = example_group_instance
-        @example_group_instance.running_example = self
+        @example_group_instance.example = self
 
         run_started
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def run(example_group_instance, reporter)
         rescue Exception => e
           exception ||= e
         ensure
-          @example_group_instance.running_example = nil
+          @example_group_instance.example = nil
         end
 
         if exception
diff --git a/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb b/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb
index dcbc25dab6..9ca2e221c7 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ class ExampleGroup
       include Let
       include Pending
 
-      attr_accessor :running_example
+      attr_accessor :example
 
       def self.world
         RSpec.world
diff --git a/lib/rspec/core/pending.rb b/lib/rspec/core/pending.rb
index cbd250118d..453391e03f 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/core/pending.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/core/pending.rb
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@ module RSpec
   module Core
     module Pending
       def pending(message = 'No reason given')
-        running_example.metadata[:pending] = true
-        running_example.metadata[:execution_result][:pending_message] = message
+        example.metadata[:pending] = true
+        example.metadata[:execution_result][:pending_message] = message
         if block_given?
           begin
             result = yield
-            running_example.metadata[:pending] = false
+            example.metadata[:pending] = false
           rescue Exception => e
           end
           raise RSpec::Core::PendingExampleFixedError.new if result
diff --git a/lib/rspec/core/subject.rb b/lib/rspec/core/subject.rb
index 240d034b91..9ba6410cbd 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/core/subject.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/core/subject.rb
@@ -80,12 +80,12 @@ def original_subject
       end
 
       def attribute_of_subject
-        original_subject.send(running_example.description) if using_attribute?
+        original_subject.send(example.description) if using_attribute?
       end
 
       def using_attribute?
-        running_example.in_block? &&
-        running_example.metadata[:attribute_of_subject]
+        example.in_block? &&
+        example.metadata[:attribute_of_subject]
       end
 
     end
diff --git a/spec/rspec/core/example_group_spec.rb b/spec/rspec/core/example_group_spec.rb
index 3019bff1eb..23f03c6b0c 100644
--- a/spec/rspec/core/example_group_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/rspec/core/example_group_spec.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ module RSpec::Core
         group = ExampleGroup.describe("parent") do
           describe("child") do
             it "does something" do
-              examples_run << running_example
+              examples_run << example
             end
           end
         end
@@ -308,19 +308,19 @@ module RSpec::Core
 
       describe "A sample nested group", :nested_describe => "yep" do
         it "sets the described class to the constant Object" do
-          running_example.example_group.describes.should == Object
+          example.example_group.describes.should == Object
         end
 
         it "sets the description to 'A sample nested describe'" do
-          running_example.example_group.description.should == 'A sample nested group'
+          example.example_group.description.should == 'A sample nested group'
         end
 
         it "has top level metadata from the example_group and its ancestors" do
-          running_example.example_group.metadata.should include(:little_less_nested => 'yep', :nested_describe => 'yep')
+          example.example_group.metadata.should include(:little_less_nested => 'yep', :nested_describe => 'yep')
         end
 
         it "exposes the parent metadata to the contained examples" do
-          running_example.metadata.should include(:little_less_nested => 'yep', :nested_describe => 'yep')
+          example.metadata.should include(:little_less_nested => 'yep', :nested_describe => 'yep')
         end
       end
 
@@ -379,11 +379,11 @@ module RSpec::Core
       end
 
       it "should be able to access the before all ivars in the before_all_ivars hash", :ruby => 1.8 do
-        running_example.example_group.before_all_ivars.should include('@before_all_top_level' => 'before_all_top_level')
+        example.example_group.before_all_ivars.should include('@before_all_top_level' => 'before_all_top_level')
       end
 
       it "should be able to access the before all ivars in the before_all_ivars hash", :ruby => 1.9 do
-        running_example.example_group.before_all_ivars.should include(:@before_all_top_level => 'before_all_top_level')
+        example.example_group.before_all_ivars.should include(:@before_all_top_level => 'before_all_top_level')
       end
 
       describe "but now I am nested" do
diff --git a/spec/rspec/core/example_spec.rb b/spec/rspec/core/example_spec.rb
index 362478b8ba..496c1b2385 100644
--- a/spec/rspec/core/example_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/rspec/core/example_spec.rb
@@ -5,37 +5,37 @@
     RSpec::Core::ExampleGroup.describe('group description')
   end
 
-  let(:example) do
+  let(:example_instance) do
     example_group.example('example description')
   end
 
   describe "attr readers" do
     it "should have one for the parent example group" do
-      example.should respond_to(:example_group)
+      example_instance.should respond_to(:example_group)
     end
 
-    it "should have one for it's description" do
-      example.should respond_to(:description)
+    it "should have one for its description" do
+      example_instance.should respond_to(:description)
     end
 
-    it "should have one for it's metadata" do
-      example.should respond_to(:metadata)
+    it "should have one for its metadata" do
+      example_instance.should respond_to(:metadata)
     end
 
-    it "should have one for it's block" do
-      example.should respond_to(:example_block)
+    it "should have one for its block" do
+      example_instance.should respond_to(:example_block)
     end
   end
 
   describe '#inspect' do
     it "should return 'group description - description'" do
-      example.inspect.should == 'group description example description'
+      example_instance.inspect.should == 'group description example description'
     end
   end
 
   describe '#to_s' do
     it "should return #inspect" do
-      example.to_s.should == example.inspect
+      example_instance.to_s.should == example_instance.inspect
     end
   end
 
@@ -47,12 +47,12 @@
 
   describe "accessing metadata within a running example" do
     it "should have a reference to itself when running" do
-      running_example.description.should == "should have a reference to itself when running"
+      example.description.should == "should have a reference to itself when running"
     end
 
     it "should be able to access the example group's top level metadata as if it were its own" do
-      running_example.example_group.metadata.should include(:parent_metadata => 'sample')
-      running_example.metadata.should include(:parent_metadata => 'sample')
+      example.example_group.metadata.should include(:parent_metadata => 'sample')
+      example.metadata.should include(:parent_metadata => 'sample')
     end
   end
 
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
       after_run = false
       group = RSpec::Core::ExampleGroup.describe do
         after(:each) { after_run = true }
-        example('example') { raise "this error" } 
+        example('example') { raise "this error" }
       end
       group.run_all
       after_run.should be_true, "expected after(:each) to be run"
@@ -90,13 +90,13 @@
 
   describe "#in_block?" do
     before do
-      running_example.should_not be_in_block
+      example.should_not be_in_block
     end
     it "is only true during the example (but not before or after)" do
-      running_example.should be_in_block
+      example.should be_in_block
     end
     after do
-      running_example.should_not be_in_block
+      example.should_not be_in_block
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/rspec/core/shared_example_group_spec.rb b/spec/rspec/core/shared_example_group_spec.rb
index 4e4ce5c190..44c71a9221 100644
--- a/spec/rspec/core/shared_example_group_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/rspec/core/shared_example_group_spec.rb
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ def count(scope)
             it "has one example" do; end
             it "has another example" do; end
             it "includes modules, included into shared example_group, into current example_group", :compat => 'rspec-1.2' do
-              raise "FAIL" unless running_example.example_group.included_modules.include?(RunningSharedExamplesJustForTesting)
+              raise "FAIL" unless example.example_group.included_modules.include?(RunningSharedExamplesJustForTesting)
             end
           end
         end