diff --git a/lib/geocoder/calculations.rb b/lib/geocoder/calculations.rb
index bc97d3b8e6127a664f4ebb68064ff3625eaed54b..0c59e56ff225e1323e379600e66f41d4a13a5848 100644
--- a/lib/geocoder/calculations.rb
+++ b/lib/geocoder/calculations.rb
@@ -22,18 +22,20 @@ module Geocoder
     KM_IN_MI = 0.621371192
 
     ##
-    # Calculate the distance between latitude lines in the given units.
+    # Calculate the distance spanned by one
+    # degree of latitude in the given units.
     #
-    def distance_between_latitude_lines(units = :mi)
+    def latitude_degree_distance(units = :mi)
       2 * Math::PI * earth_radius(units) / 360
     end
 
     ##
-    # Calculate the distance between longitude lines at the given latitude.
-    # This ranges from around 69 miles at the equator to zero at the poles.
+    # Calculate the distance spanned by one degree of longitude
+    # at the given latitude. This ranges from around 69 miles at
+    # the equator to zero at the poles.
     #
-    def distance_between_longitude_lines(latitude, units = :mi)
-      distance_between_latitude_lines(units) * Math.cos(to_radians(latitude))
+    def longitude_degree_distance(latitude, units = :mi)
+      latitude_degree_distance(units) * Math.cos(to_radians(latitude))
     end
 
     ##
diff --git a/lib/geocoder/orms/active_record.rb b/lib/geocoder/orms/active_record.rb
index bf48f5bd7be36e4c828850643c27fc764cedfb97..ad00e2d5e1c8e855fd1b0fa8cf9f395bb8138d25 100644
--- a/lib/geocoder/orms/active_record.rb
+++ b/lib/geocoder/orms/active_record.rb
@@ -154,8 +154,8 @@ module Geocoder::Orm
           bearing = false
         end
 
-        dx = Geocoder::Calculations.distance_between_longitude_lines(30, options[:units] || :mi)
-        dy = Geocoder::Calculations.distance_between_latitude_lines(options[:units] || :mi)
+        dx = Geocoder::Calculations.longitude_degree_distance(30, options[:units] || :mi)
+        dy = Geocoder::Calculations.latitude_degree_distance(options[:units] || :mi)
 
         distance = "(#{dy} * ABS(#{lat_attr} - #{latitude}) / 2) + " +
           "(#{dx} * ABS(#{lon_attr} - #{longitude}) / 2)"
@@ -196,10 +196,10 @@ module Geocoder::Orm
       def coordinate_bounds(latitude, longitude, radius, units = :mi)
         radius = radius.to_f
         [
-          latitude  - (radius / Geocoder::Calculations.distance_between_latitude_lines(units)),
-          latitude  + (radius / Geocoder::Calculations.distance_between_latitude_lines(units)),
-          longitude - (radius / Geocoder::Calculations.distance_between_longitude_lines(latitude, units)),
-          longitude + (radius / Geocoder::Calculations.distance_between_longitude_lines(latitude, units))
+          latitude  - (radius / Geocoder::Calculations.latitude_degree_distance(units)),
+          latitude  + (radius / Geocoder::Calculations.latitude_degree_distance(units)),
+          longitude - (radius / Geocoder::Calculations.longitude_degree_distance(latitude, units)),
+          longitude + (radius / Geocoder::Calculations.longitude_degree_distance(latitude, units))
         ]
       end
     end
diff --git a/test/geocoder_test.rb b/test/geocoder_test.rb
index 91179e41741d068b9607e693336b4d965a36a77f..1b8223aaf75a9eb4ab66b477ac38a88c690fcc2b 100644
--- a/test/geocoder_test.rb
+++ b/test/geocoder_test.rb
@@ -139,16 +139,16 @@ class GeocoderTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
   # --- calcluations ---
 
-  def test_distance_between_longitude_lines_at_equator
-    assert_equal 69, Geocoder::Calculations.distance_between_longitude_lines(0).round
+  def test_longitude_degree_distance_at_equator
+    assert_equal 69, Geocoder::Calculations.longitude_degree_distance(0).round
   end
 
-  def test_distance_between_longitude_lines_at_new_york
-    assert_equal 53, Geocoder::Calculations.distance_between_longitude_lines(40).round
+  def test_longitude_degree_distance_at_new_york
+    assert_equal 53, Geocoder::Calculations.longitude_degree_distance(40).round
   end
 
-  def test_distance_between_longitude_lines_at_north_pole
-    assert_equal 0, Geocoder::Calculations.distance_between_longitude_lines(89.98).round
+  def test_longitude_degree_distance_at_north_pole
+    assert_equal 0, Geocoder::Calculations.longitude_degree_distance(89.98).round
   end
 
   def test_distance_between