diff --git a/usr.bin/tail/forward.c b/usr.bin/tail/forward.c
--- a/usr.bin/tail/forward.c
+++ b/usr.bin/tail/forward.c
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@
 	 */
 	ev = malloc(no_files * 2 * sizeof(struct kevent));
 	if (ev == NULL)
-		err(1, "Couldn't allocate memory for kevents.");
+		err(1, "failed to allocate memory for kevents");
 	set_events(files);
 
 	for (;;) {
diff --git a/usr.bin/tail/read.c b/usr.bin/tail/read.c
--- a/usr.bin/tail/read.c
+++ b/usr.bin/tail/read.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
 	char *sp;
 
 	if ((sp = p = malloc(off)) == NULL)
-		err(1, "malloc");
+		err(1, "failed to allocate memory");
 
 	for (wrap = 0, ep = p + off; (ch = getc(fp)) != EOF;) {
 		*p = ch;
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@
 	int blen, cnt, recno, wrap;
 
 	if ((llines = calloc(off, sizeof(*llines))) == NULL)
-		err(1, "calloc");
+		err(1, "failed to allocate memory");
 	p = sp = NULL;
 	blen = cnt = recno = wrap = 0;
 	rc = 0;
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@
 	while ((ch = getc(fp)) != EOF) {
 		if (++cnt > blen) {
 			if ((sp = realloc(sp, blen += 1024)) == NULL)
-				err(1, "realloc");
+				err(1, "failed to allocate memory");
 			p = sp + cnt - 1;
 		}
 		*p++ = ch;
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@
 				llines[recno].blen = cnt + 256;
 				if ((llines[recno].l = realloc(llines[recno].l,
 				    llines[recno].blen)) == NULL)
-					err(1, "realloc");
+					err(1, "failed to allocate memory");
 			}
 			bcopy(sp, llines[recno].l, llines[recno].len = cnt);
 			cnt = 0;
diff --git a/usr.bin/tail/reverse.c b/usr.bin/tail/reverse.c
--- a/usr.bin/tail/reverse.c
+++ b/usr.bin/tail/reverse.c
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@
 		while ((tl = malloc(sizeof(bfelem_t))) == NULL) {
 			first = TAILQ_FIRST(&head);
 			if (TAILQ_EMPTY(&head))
-				err(1, "malloc");
+				err(1, "failed to allocate memory");
 			enomem += first->len;
 			TAILQ_REMOVE(&head, first, entries);
 			free(first);
diff --git a/usr.bin/tail/tail.c b/usr.bin/tail/tail.c
--- a/usr.bin/tail/tail.c
+++ b/usr.bin/tail/tail.c
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
 		cap_rights_set(&rights, CAP_EVENT);
 	if (caph_rights_limit(STDIN_FILENO, &rights) < 0 ||
 	    caph_limit_stderr() < 0 || caph_limit_stdout() < 0)
-		err(1, "can't limit stdio rights");
+		err(1, "unable to limit stdio rights");
 
 	fa = fileargs_init(argc, argv, O_RDONLY, 0, &rights, FA_OPEN);
 	if (fa == NULL)
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@
 	if (*argv && fflag) {
 		files = malloc(no_files * sizeof(struct file_info));
 		if (files == NULL)
-			err(1, "Couldn't malloc space for file descriptors.");
+			err(1, "failed to allocate memory for file descriptors");
 
 		for (filep = files; (fn = *argv++); filep++) {
 			filep->file_name = fn;
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@
 			/* Malloc space for dash, new option and argument. */
 			len = strlen(*argv);
 			if ((start = p = malloc(len + 3)) == NULL)
-				err(1, "malloc");
+				err(1, "failed to allocate memory");
 			*p++ = '-';
 
 			/*