diff --git a/scripts/simpletrace.py b/scripts/simpletrace.py
index 283b5918a1..09511f624d 100755
--- a/scripts/simpletrace.py
+++ b/scripts/simpletrace.py
@@ -40,17 +40,17 @@ def read_header(fobj, hfmt):
         return None
     return struct.unpack(hfmt, hdr)
 
-def get_record(edict, idtoname, rechdr, fobj):
+def get_record(event_mapping, event_id_to_name, rechdr, fobj):
     """Deserialize a trace record from a file into a tuple
        (name, timestamp, pid, arg1, ..., arg6)."""
     if rechdr is None:
         return None
     if rechdr[0] != dropped_event_id:
         event_id = rechdr[0]
-        name = idtoname[event_id]
+        name = event_id_to_name[event_id]
         rec = (name, rechdr[1], rechdr[3])
         try:
-            event = edict[name]
+            event = event_mapping[name]
         except KeyError as e:
             sys.stderr.write('%s event is logged but is not declared ' \
                              'in the trace events file, try using ' \
@@ -79,10 +79,10 @@ def get_mapping(fobj):
 
     return (event_id, name)
 
-def read_record(edict, idtoname, fobj):
+def read_record(event_mapping, event_id_to_name, fobj):
     """Deserialize a trace record from a file into a tuple (event_num, timestamp, pid, arg1, ..., arg6)."""
     rechdr = read_header(fobj, rec_header_fmt)
-    return get_record(edict, idtoname, rechdr, fobj)
+    return get_record(event_mapping, event_id_to_name, rechdr, fobj)
 
 def read_trace_header(fobj):
     """Read and verify trace file header"""
@@ -103,14 +103,14 @@ def read_trace_header(fobj):
         raise ValueError('Log format %d not supported with this QEMU release!'
                          % log_version)
 
-def read_trace_records(edict, idtoname, fobj):
+def read_trace_records(event_mapping, event_id_to_name, fobj):
     """Deserialize trace records from a file, yielding record tuples (event_num, timestamp, pid, arg1, ..., arg6).
 
-    Note that `idtoname` is modified if the file contains mapping records.
+    Note that `event_id_to_name` is modified if the file contains mapping records.
 
     Args:
-        edict (str -> Event): events dict, indexed by name
-        idtoname (int -> str): event names dict, indexed by event ID
+        event_mapping (str -> Event): events dict, indexed by name
+        event_id_to_name (int -> str): event names dict, indexed by event ID
         fobj (file): input file
 
     """
@@ -122,9 +122,9 @@ def read_trace_records(edict, idtoname, fobj):
         (rectype, ) = struct.unpack('=Q', t)
         if rectype == record_type_mapping:
             event_id, name = get_mapping(fobj)
-            idtoname[event_id] = name
+            event_id_to_name[event_id] = name
         else:
-            rec = read_record(edict, idtoname, fobj)
+            rec = read_record(event_mapping, event_id_to_name, fobj)
 
             yield rec
 
@@ -201,16 +201,16 @@ def process(events, log, analyzer, read_header=True):
     frameinfo = inspect.getframeinfo(inspect.currentframe())
     dropped_event = Event.build("Dropped_Event(uint64_t num_events_dropped)",
                                 frameinfo.lineno + 1, frameinfo.filename)
-    edict = {"dropped": dropped_event}
-    idtoname = {dropped_event_id: "dropped"}
+    event_mapping = {"dropped": dropped_event}
+    event_id_to_name = {dropped_event_id: "dropped"}
 
     for event in events_list:
-        edict[event.name] = event
+        event_mapping[event.name] = event
 
     # If there is no header assume event ID mapping matches events list
     if not read_header:
         for event_id, event in enumerate(events_list):
-            idtoname[event_id] = event.name
+            event_id_to_name[event_id] = event.name
 
     def build_fn(analyzer, event):
         if isinstance(event, str):
@@ -234,9 +234,9 @@ def build_fn(analyzer, event):
 
     analyzer.begin()
     fn_cache = {}
-    for rec in read_trace_records(edict, idtoname, log):
+    for rec in read_trace_records(event_mapping, event_id_to_name, log):
         event_num = rec[0]
-        event = edict[event_num]
+        event = event_mapping[event_num]
         if event_num not in fn_cache:
             fn_cache[event_num] = build_fn(analyzer, event)
         fn_cache[event_num](event, rec)
