Inconsistency in meaning of "user options"

[Richard M. Stallman]

Sometimes we use the term "user options" to mean
"customizable variable" or "variable meant for the user to set".
But sometimes we use it to mean "any settings you can customize",
which includes faces as well.

I think we should make this consistent.  There is more than
one way to do it; all of them will take work.
The question is, which one is better?