diff --git a/faq.html b/faq.html
index 983e3c16d..8e238bf65 100644
--- a/faq.html
+++ b/faq.html
@@ -1162,11 +1162,17 @@ not compiled)</li>
 <li>everything: equivalent to <code>make all alt</code>.</li>
 </ul>
 <p>Are there any other rules? You tell us!</p>
+<p>The top level and the year (e.g. <code>1984/Makefile</code>, <code>1985/Makefile</code> etc.)
+<code>Makefile</code>s recurse into the subdirectories for each entry so you can compile
+individual entries, entries of a given year or all entries, based on what you
+wish to do.</p>
 <p>NOTE about the above rules: the Makefile default assumes <code>cc</code> which might be a
 gcc-based compiler, or a clang-based compiler, or some other compiler. Only by
 forcing <code>CC=clang</code> or <code>CC=gcc</code> will one invoke a specific compiler to, say,
 enable or disable additional warnings or flags. Even so different versions or
-compilers might do different things, have different defects or other issues.</p>
+compilers might do different things, have different defects or other issues.
+Note that the <code>Makefile</code>s check the <code>CC</code> variable by substrings so that if you
+were to do something like <code>make CC=gcc=mp-12</code> it would register as <code>gcc</code>.</p>
 <div id="faq3_1">
 <h3 id="faq-3.1-why-doesnt-this-ioccc-entry-compile">FAQ 3.1: Why doesn’t this IOCCC entry compile?</h3>
 </div>
diff --git a/faq.md b/faq.md
index d028f00b5..35a213137 100644
--- a/faq.md
+++ b/faq.md
@@ -1012,11 +1012,18 @@ clobber` depends on `clean` so running `make clobber` will invoke `make clean`.
 
 Are there any other rules? You tell us!
 
+The top level and the year (e.g. `1984/Makefile`, `1985/Makefile` etc.)
+`Makefile`s recurse into the subdirectories for each entry so you can compile
+individual entries, entries of a given year or all entries, based on what you
+wish to do.
+
 NOTE about the above rules: the Makefile default assumes `cc` which might be a
 gcc-based compiler, or a clang-based compiler, or some other compiler. Only by
 forcing `CC=clang` or `CC=gcc` will one invoke a specific compiler to, say,
 enable or disable additional warnings or flags. Even so different versions or
 compilers might do different things, have different defects or other issues.
+Note that the `Makefile`s check the `CC` variable by substrings so that if you
+were to do something like `make CC=gcc=mp-12` it would register as `gcc`.
 
 
 <div id="faq3_1">