diff --git a/youtube_dl/options.py b/youtube_dl/options.py
index 918022a57..6e29ec11d 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/options.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/options.py
@@ -301,11 +301,11 @@ def parseOpts(overrideArguments=None):
         '--date-playlist-order',
         metavar='ORDER', dest='date_playlist_order', default='none',
         type='choice', choices=['asc', 'desc', 'none'],
-        help='Specify whether a playlist is known to be listed in chronological order. "Asc", "desc" or "none". Descending order is most recent to least, and is the most useful. Default is "none", and is like not using this option at all. Automatically stops after encountering the first video date outside of the date range configured by --date, --datebefore, and --dateafter.')
+        help='Specify whether a playlist is known to be listed in chronological order. "Asc", "desc" or "none". Descending order is most recent to least, and is useful for batch-downloading the new videos from a Youtube channel. Default is "none", and is like not using this option at all. Causes youtube-dl to automatically stop after encountering the first video date outside of the date range configured by --date, --datebefore, and/or --dateafter.')
     selection.add_option(
         '--start-from-earliest',
-        metavar='FROM', dest='start_from_earliest',
-        action='store_true', help='In conjunction with --date-playlist-order, specify whether to start from the earliest videos or the latest. The default behavior is to start from the latest.')
+        metavar='FROM', dest='start_from_earliest', action='store_true',
+        help='Specify to start from the earliest rather than from the latest, the default behavior. This option doesn\'t have any effect without --date-playlist-order.')
     selection.add_option(
         '--min-views',
         metavar='COUNT', dest='min_views', default=None, type=int,