diff --git a/scripts/release-crate.ps1 b/scripts/release-crate.ps1
index c118c4fd..e417c0bb 100644
--- a/scripts/release-crate.ps1
+++ b/scripts/release-crate.ps1
@@ -69,17 +69,17 @@ $script:TypeGroupMapping = @{
 
 # Maps the final group key to a user-friendly header in the changelog.
 $script:HeaderNameMapping = @{
-    'breaking'      = '⚠️ Breaking';
-    'build'         = '🏗️ Build System';
-    'ci'            = '🔄 Continuous Integration';
-    'docs'          = '📚 Documentation';
-    'feat'          = '✨ Features';
-    'fix'           = '🐛 Bug Fixes';
-    'miscellaneous' = '🧩 Miscellaneous';
-    'perf'          = '⚡ Performance';
-    'refactor'      = '♻️ Code Refactoring';
-    'style'         = '🎨 Styling';
-    'task'          = '✔️ Tasks';
+    'breaking'      = 'Breaking';
+    'build'         = 'Build System';
+    'ci'            = 'Continuous Integration';
+    'docs'          = 'Documentation';
+    'feat'          = 'Features';
+    'fix'           = 'Bug Fixes';
+    'miscellaneous' = 'Miscellaneous';
+    'perf'          = 'Performance';
+    'refactor'      = 'Code Refactoring';
+    'style'         = 'Styling';
+    'task'          = 'Tasks';
 }
 
 # Defines the preferred order for commit type sections in the changelog.
@@ -422,17 +422,17 @@ function Update-CrateVersion {
         }
 
         $newVersion = $versionParts -join '.'
-        Write-Host "✅ Incrementing $bumpType version from $currentVersion to $newVersion."
+        Write-Host "Incrementing $bumpType version from $currentVersion to $newVersion."
     }
     else {
         $newVersion = $version
-        Write-Host "✅ Using specified version: $newVersion."
+        Write-Host "Using specified version: $newVersion."
     }
 
-    Write-Host "📝 Updating '$crateCargoToml'..."
+    Write-Host "Updating '$crateCargoToml'..."
     (Get-Content $crateCargoToml -Raw) -replace '(?<=version\s*=\s*")[^"]+', $newVersion | Set-Content $crateCargoToml -NoNewline
 
-    Write-Host "📝 Updating '$rootCargoToml'..."
+    Write-Host "Updating '$rootCargoToml'..."
 
     function Get-EscapedRegexSpecialChars($str) {
         # Escape all regex metacharacters: . $ ^ { [ ( | ) * + ? \ /
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ function Write-Changelog {
                               ($newVersionSection -join "`n") + "`n" +
                               $existingContent.Substring($insertPosition)
                 $newContent | Set-Content $changelogFile -NoNewline
-                Write-Host "✅ Changelog updated at '$changelogFile'."
+                Write-Host "Changelog updated at '$changelogFile'."
                 return
             }
         }
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ function Write-Changelog {
     $changelogContent = @("# Changelog", "")
     $changelogContent += $newVersionSection
     $changelogContent | Out-File -FilePath $changelogFile -Encoding utf8
-    Write-Host "✅ Changelog created at '$changelogFile'."
+    Write-Host "Changelog created at '$changelogFile'."
 }
 
 function Update-Readme {
@@ -546,14 +546,14 @@ function Update-Readme {
         return
     }
 
-    Write-Host "📝 Updating README.md..."
+    Write-Host "Updating README.md..."
     Push-Location $crateFolder
     try {
         $result = cargo doc2readme --lib --template ../README.j2 2>&1
         if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
             Write-Warning "Failed to generate README: $result"
         } else {
-            Write-Host "✅ README.md updated."
+            Write-Host "README.md updated."
         }
     }
     finally {
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ function Show-DependentCratesWarning {
     )
 
     Write-Host ""
-    Write-Host "⚠️  SEMVER-INCOMPATIBLE RELEASE DETECTED" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+    Write-Host "WARNING: SEMVER-INCOMPATIBLE RELEASE DETECTED" -ForegroundColor Yellow
     Write-Host "The version bump from $oldVersion to $newVersion is semver-incompatible." -ForegroundColor Yellow
     Write-Host ""
     Write-Host "The following workspace crates have a direct dependency on '$crateName'" -ForegroundColor Yellow
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ function Show-FinalMessage {
     )
 
     Write-Host "---" -ForegroundColor Green
-    Write-Host "🎉 Success! Next steps:" -ForegroundColor Green
+    Write-Host "Success! Next steps:" -ForegroundColor Green
     Write-Host "1. Review the changes in the updated files." -ForegroundColor Green
     Write-Host "2. Commit the changes and push the changes:" -ForegroundColor Green
     Write-Host "   git add ." -ForegroundColor DarkGray
diff --git a/scripts/run-examples.ps1 b/scripts/run-examples.ps1
index 3824cf09..7ea219a9 100644
--- a/scripts/run-examples.ps1
+++ b/scripts/run-examples.ps1
@@ -97,11 +97,11 @@ foreach ($pkg in $packages_to_process) {
                 $output = $result[0..($result.Length - 2)] -join "`n"  # All output except exit code
 
                 if ($exit_code -eq 0) {
-                    Write-Host "✓ Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' completed successfully" -ForegroundColor Green
+                    Write-Host "PASS: Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' completed successfully" -ForegroundColor Green
                     $success_count++
                 }
                 else {
-                    Write-Host "✗ Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' failed with exit code $exit_code" -ForegroundColor Red
+                    Write-Host "FAIL: Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' failed with exit code $exit_code" -ForegroundColor Red
                     if ($output.Trim() -ne "") {
                         Write-Host "Output:" -ForegroundColor Yellow
                         Write-Host $output -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ foreach ($pkg in $packages_to_process) {
                 }
             }
             else {
-                Write-Host "✗ Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' timed out after $timeout_seconds seconds" -ForegroundColor Red
+                Write-Host "FAIL: Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' timed out after $timeout_seconds seconds" -ForegroundColor Red
                 $failures += "$pkg::$example_name (timeout)"
                 Stop-Job -Job $job
             }
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ foreach ($pkg in $packages_to_process) {
 
         }
         catch {
-            Write-Host "✗ Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' failed with exception: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor Red
+            Write-Host "FAIL: Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' failed with exception: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor Red
             $failures += "$pkg::$example_name (exception: $($_.Exception.Message))"
         }
     }
@@ -155,11 +155,11 @@ foreach ($pkg in $packages_to_process) {
                 $output = $result[0..($result.Length - 2)] -join "`n"  # All output except exit code
 
                 if ($exit_code -eq 0) {
-                    Write-Host "✓ Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' completed successfully" -ForegroundColor Green
+                    Write-Host "PASS: Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' completed successfully" -ForegroundColor Green
                     $success_count++
                 }
                 else {
-                    Write-Host "✗ Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' failed with exit code $exit_code" -ForegroundColor Red
+                    Write-Host "FAIL: Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' failed with exit code $exit_code" -ForegroundColor Red
                     if ($output.Trim() -ne "") {
                         Write-Host "Output:" -ForegroundColor Yellow
                         Write-Host $output -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ foreach ($pkg in $packages_to_process) {
                 }
             }
             else {
-                Write-Host "✗ Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' timed out after $timeout_seconds seconds" -ForegroundColor Red
+                Write-Host "FAIL: Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' timed out after $timeout_seconds seconds" -ForegroundColor Red
                 $failures += "$pkg::$example_name (timeout)"
                 Stop-Job -Job $job
             }
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ foreach ($pkg in $packages_to_process) {
 
         }
         catch {
-            Write-Host "✗ Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' failed with exception: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor Red
+            Write-Host "FAIL: Example '$example_name' in package '$pkg' failed with exception: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor Red
             $failures += "$pkg::$example_name (exception: $($_.Exception.Message))"
         }
     }
diff --git a/scripts/test-anvil-container.ps1 b/scripts/test-anvil-container.ps1
index 94d6a39c..a2a4f5ec 100644
--- a/scripts/test-anvil-container.ps1
+++ b/scripts/test-anvil-container.ps1
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 .DESCRIPTION
     Creates a throwaway repository in a temp directory, generates the anvil tree
     into it with the locally-built cargo-anvil, and then does only what a
-    developer would do: run `just anvil-container <command…>` and observe what
+    developer would do: run `just anvil-container <command...>` and observe what
     happens.
 
     The setup phase is held to that standard deliberately. If this script has to
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
       2. The first run builds an image and runs the recipe inside it.
       3. A second run reuses the image (the tag resolves, nothing is built),
          no cache volume masks the tools the image installed, and a host
-         GITHUB_TOKEN is forwarded — from the environment, or from the gh CLI
+         GITHUB_TOKEN is forwarded -- from the environment, or from the gh CLI
          when the environment has none.
       3b. A recipe run from a linked worktree can still reach git history.
       4. Changing a hashed input (the pinned toolchain) selects a new tag.
@@ -123,8 +123,8 @@ function Invoke-Native {
                 -RedirectStandardOutput $stdoutFile -RedirectStandardError $stderrFile
             $result = [pscustomobject]@{
                 ExitCode = $process.ExitCode
-                StdOut   = (Get-Content -LiteralPath $stdoutFile -Raw -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) ?? ''
-                StdErr   = (Get-Content -LiteralPath $stderrFile -Raw -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) ?? ''
+                StdOut   = [string](Get-Content -LiteralPath $stdoutFile -Raw -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
+                StdErr   = [string](Get-Content -LiteralPath $stderrFile -Raw -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
             }
         } finally {
             Remove-Item -LiteralPath $stdoutFile, $stderrFile -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ function Test-ImagePresent([string]$Reference) {
 
 function Remove-AnvilImages([string]$Prefix) {
     $images = Invoke-Engine -Arguments @('images', '--format', '{{.Repository}}:{{.Tag}}') -AllowFailure
-    # Podman reports images fully qualified (`localhost/anvil-…`), docker does
+    # Podman reports images fully qualified (`localhost/anvil-...`), docker does
     # not, so match anywhere in the reference rather than at the start.
     $matching = ($images.StdOut -split "`r?`n") | Where-Object { $_ -like "*$Prefix*" }
     foreach ($image in $matching) {
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ Assert-That 'content in a gap survives regeneration' ($afterRegen -match 'a repo
 Assert-Equal 'the composed tag is unchanged by regeneration' $editedReference (Get-ImageReference -Repo $repo)
 
 # Anvil never overwrites repository content, and a region body is no exception:
-# an edit inside one is preserved, exactly as `updates.md` §2 preserves an
+# an edit inside one is preserved, exactly as `updates.md` section 2 preserves an
 # edited owned file. That is why the gaps matter -- editing inside a region
 # silently freezes the base digest and the tool pins at today's values while
 # the tag keeps resolving, so the layout has to make the gaps the obvious place
diff --git a/scripts/test-anvil-dogfood.ps1 b/scripts/test-anvil-dogfood.ps1
index b677af32..e4ede012 100644
--- a/scripts/test-anvil-dogfood.ps1
+++ b/scripts/test-anvil-dogfood.ps1
@@ -153,8 +153,8 @@ function Invoke-Native {
                 -RedirectStandardOutput $stdoutFile -RedirectStandardError $stderrFile
             $result = [pscustomobject]@{
                 ExitCode = $process.ExitCode
-                StdOut   = (Get-Content -LiteralPath $stdoutFile -Raw -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) ?? ''
-                StdErr   = (Get-Content -LiteralPath $stderrFile -Raw -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) ?? ''
+                StdOut   = [string](Get-Content -LiteralPath $stdoutFile -Raw -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
+                StdErr   = [string](Get-Content -LiteralPath $stderrFile -Raw -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
             }
         } finally {
             Remove-Item -LiteralPath $stdoutFile, $stderrFile -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue