feat(patterns): add Claude 5.5 tell and hidden-character packs

README.md

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ New here? Start with [plugins/concise/README.md](plugins/concise/README.md).
 - Comment blocks longer than 2 lines in `Write`, `Edit`, `MultiEdit`, and Codex `apply_patch` additions
 - New files longer than 300 lines
 - Inline `gh pr` and `gh issue` bodies with more than 1 prose paragraph or more than 3 sentences in a paragraph
-- Em dashes and 44 categories of AI writing patterns, both off until you turn them on
+- Em dashes and 47 categories of AI writing patterns, both off until you turn them on
 - Output from pytest, `go test`, npm test, Jest, and Vitest; each run's full output is kept in its own log under `$TMPDIR/concise-test-filter-<uid>/<session>/`, and the path is printed with the filtered output
 
 Structured GitHub bodies that use headings and lists are allowed. A denied call includes the exact limit and location. After 2 denied retries for the same target, Concise permits the next attempt and flags it.
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ Start a new omp session. omp loads the hooks as an extension at session start, s
 
 - [plugins/concise/README.md](plugins/concise/README.md): the entry point. Quick start, what each check does, the 8 presets, and the escape hatches.
 - [plugins/concise/docs/configuration.md](plugins/concise/docs/configuration.md): every config key with its default, the 5 config layers, `mode`, `allowList`, `bypass`, and logging.
-- [plugins/concise/docs/categories.md](plugins/concise/docs/categories.md): all 44 AI writing categories with an example, a fix, the presets, and the scopes.
+- [plugins/concise/docs/categories.md](plugins/concise/docs/categories.md): all 47 AI writing categories with an example, a fix, the presets, and the scopes.
 - [plugins/concise/docs/environment.md](plugins/concise/docs/environment.md): every `BEC_` variable and 3 worked scenarios, including a cloud agent with no config file.
 - [plugins/concise/docs/packs.md](plugins/concise/docs/packs.md): the pack file format, the 3 pattern kinds, `detect(text, ctx)`, and the validator and renderer commands.
 - [plugins/concise/docs/tools.md](plugins/concise/docs/tools.md): the `concise-config` CLI, the MCP tools, the settings skills, and the writing-sample tuner.

plugins/concise/README.md

@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ To keep it, send the identical write again to confirm. To fix it, read <plugin>/
 | File length | A new file over 300 lines, on `Write` or `*** Add File` | `[concise] /tmp/demo/big.js would be 305 lines (limit 300).` |
 | PR and issue bodies | A `gh` body over 1 prose paragraph, or a paragraph over 3 sentences | `[concise] PR/issue body is too verbose: a paragraph has 4 sentences (limit 3)` |
 | Em dashes | `U+2014`, plus `U+2013` when `enDash` is true, plus `--` between word characters when `doubleHyphen` is true | `The parser runs first — then it rejects the file.` |
-| AI writing patterns | 44 categories of phrasing, commit hygiene, punctuation, and text statistics | `We delve into the parser.` |
+| AI writing patterns | 47 categories of phrasing, commit hygiene, punctuation, and text statistics | `We delve into the parser.` |
 | Dictionary | Terms you list in `features.dictionary.entries` | `[concise:dictionary:blacklist] 1 match at line 3: "blacklisted" (denylist).` |
 
 A bulleted `## Summary` body is never flagged as a verbose PR body. Only unstructured prose is.
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ After 2 denied retries on the same target, the hook allows the action and flags
 | `minimal` | A team that only wants chat boilerplate gone | 4 categories: `chatbot`, `sycophancy`, `ai-identity`, and `ai-attribution`. |
 | `git` | Commit messages, PR bodies, and reviews | 7 commit, PR, and review categories. |
 | `statistical` | A writing audit over long documents | 10 text statistics categories. |
-| `all` | Every rule, `ste` included | 44 categories. |
+| `all` | Every rule, `ste` included | 47 categories. |
 
 Pick one:
 
@@ -128,14 +128,14 @@ Setting `features.aiWriting.categories` to a list of category ids replaces the p
 
 ## Categories
 
-The 44 categories fall into 5 groups.
+The 47 categories fall into 5 groups.
 
 | Group | Count | Flagged example | Fix |
 |---|---|---|---|
-| Phrase categories | 14 | `In conclusion` (`closers`) | End on the last fact. |
+| Phrase categories | 16 | `In conclusion` (`closers`) | End on the last fact. |
 | Rhetorical categories | 11 | `studies show` (`vague-attribution`) | Cite the study. |
 | Commit and review categories | 7 | `Co-authored-by: Claude` (`ai-attribution`) | Drop the trailer. |
-| Punctuation categories | 2 | an arrow character (`unicode-glyphs`) | Use `->`. |
+| Punctuation categories | 3 | an arrow character (`unicode-glyphs`) | Use `->`. |
 | Text statistics categories | 10 | passive voice over 30% of sentences (`passive-voice`) | Name the actor. |
 
 The full table, with every category id, its presets, and the scopes it runs in, is in [docs/categories.md](docs/categories.md). The flagged text and the replacement for every pattern are in [skills/concise-rules/references/ai-speak-patterns.md](skills/concise-rules/references/ai-speak-patterns.md).

plugins/concise/docs/INDEX.md

@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 # Docs index
 
 Created: 2026-10-05
-Last updated: 2026-10-07
+Last updated: 2026-10-08
 
 | Doc | Read it to | Created | Last updated |
 |---|---|---|---|
 | [configuration.md](configuration.md) | Find a config key, its default, the layer order, the merge rules, `mode`, and the dictionary. | 2026-09-04 | 2026-10-06 |
 | [tools.md](tools.md) | Change settings with the `concise-config` CLI or the MCP tools, or tune them from writing samples. | 2026-10-05 | 2026-10-05 |
 | [environment.md](environment.md) | Control a session with `BEC_` variables. | 2026-09-04 | 2026-10-05 |
-| [categories.md](categories.md) | Look up an AI writing category, its presets, and its scopes. | 2026-09-04 | 2026-09-29 |
-| [packs.md](packs.md) | Write or check a pattern pack. | 2026-09-04 | 2026-09-05 |
+| [categories.md](categories.md) | Look up an AI writing category, its presets, and its scopes. | 2026-09-04 | 2026-10-08 |
+| [packs.md](packs.md) | Write or check a pattern pack. | 2026-09-04 | 2026-10-08 |
 | [host-features.md](host-features.md) | Check which Claude Code, Codex, and omp hook, skill, and MCP features the manifests and the omp extension use, with the host doc sources and the live test results. | 2026-10-05 | 2026-10-07 |
 
 Read [host-features.md](host-features.md) and its sources before you change `hooks/hooks.json`, `hooks/codex.json`, `.mcp.json`, `.codex-mcp.json`, `package.json`, `omp/`, or a plugin manifest.

plugins/concise/docs/categories.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Categories
 
-The `aiWriting` feature ships 44 categories. Each category is one pack file under `hooks/lib/patterns/`. This page lists every category, the presets that turn it on, and the scopes it runs in.
+The `aiWriting` feature ships 47 categories. Each category is one pack file under `hooks/lib/patterns/`, except `claude-tells`, which spans `claude-tells.json`, `closing-offer.json`, and `backtick-branches.mjs`. This page lists every category, the presets that turn it on, and the scopes it runs in.
 
 Pick categories with `features.aiWriting.preset`, or replace the preset list with `features.aiWriting.categories`. Both keys are described in [configuration.md](configuration.md). The flagged text and the replacement for every pattern are in [../skills/concise-rules/references/ai-speak-patterns.md](../skills/concise-rules/references/ai-speak-patterns.md).
 
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ Scopes across this group: `files`, `comments`, `gh`, `commit`, `reply`. The scop
 
 | id | What it catches | Flagged example | Fix | Presets | Scopes |
 |---|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `british-spelling` | British spellings in text that otherwise uses American English. | `behaviour` | use the American spelling | `ryan`, `all` | `files`, `comments`, `gh`, `commit`, `reply` |
 | `chatbot` | Assistant boilerplate that belongs to a chat window. | `Great question` | delete the line | `default`, `ryan`, `technical`, `minimal`, `all` | `files`, `comments`, `gh`, `commit`, `reply` |
+| `claude-tells` | Phrasing that Claude 5.x models write far more often than people do. | `still not committed, on purpose` | `still intentionally not committed` | `default`, `ryan`, `technical`, `all` | `files`, `comments`, `gh`, `commit`, `reply` |
 | `closers` | Endings that restate the text instead of stopping. | `In conclusion` | end on the last fact | `default`, `ryan`, `technical`, `all` | `files`, `comments`, `gh`, `commit`, `reply` |
 | `contrast` | Frames that define the subject by what it is not. | `it's not a config change, it's a rewrite` | state the positive claim | `default`, `ryan`, `technical`, `all` | `files`, `comments`, `gh`, `commit`, `reply` |
 | `copula` | Verbs that interpret the subject instead of naming what it does. | `serves as` | say what it does | `ryan`, `ste`, `all` | `files`, `comments`, `gh`, `commit`, `reply` |
@@ -61,10 +63,11 @@ Scopes across this group: `comments`, `gh`, `commit`, `command`, `reply`. The sc
 
 ## Punctuation categories
 
-Scopes across this group: `comments`, `gh`, `commit`, `command`, `reply`. The scope column below gives the scopes for each category.
+Scopes across this group: `files`, `comments`, `gh`, `commit`, `command`, `reply`. The scope column below gives the scopes for each category.
 
 | id | What it catches | Flagged example | Fix | Presets | Scopes |
 |---|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `hidden-characters` | Invisible or look-alike characters that model output and chat UIs leave in text. | a zero-width space | remove the character | `default`, `ryan`, `technical`, `git`, `all` | `files`, `comments`, `gh`, `commit`, `command`, `reply` |
 | `smart-punctuation` | Curly quotes and the ellipsis character typical of text pasted from a chat UI. | a curly apostrophe | use a straight apostrophe | `default`, `ryan`, `technical`, `all` | `comments`, `commit`, `gh`, `command`, `reply` |
 | `unicode-glyphs` | Arrows, box drawing, dingbats, and geometric symbols used in place of plain ASCII or words. | an arrow character | use `->` | `default`, `ryan`, `technical`, `all` | `commit`, `gh`, `command`, `reply` |
 

plugins/concise/docs/packs.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Pattern packs
 
-Every category is one pack file. The built-in packs live under `hooks/lib/patterns/`: `ai/` for writing patterns, `git/` for commit, PR, and review checks, `prose/` for punctuation. A project adds its own packs the same way.
+Most categories are one pack file. A pack whose `category` is a string joins that category, as `closing-offer.json` and `backtick-branches.mjs` join `claude-tells`. The built-in packs live under `hooks/lib/patterns/`: `ai/` for writing patterns, `git/` for commit, PR, and review checks, `prose/` for punctuation. A project adds its own packs the same way.
 
 A `.mjs` pack executes code from the checkout. The hook imports it, so its top-level code and its `detect` function run in the hook process with your permissions on every tool call. Read a `.mjs` pack before you add it. A `.json` pack holds data only.
 
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ export default {
 | `ctx.path` | The file path, or `null` for a reply, commit message, `gh` body, or command. |
 | `ctx.scope` | The scope name the text came from. |
 | `ctx.options` | The pack's `options`, merged with `features.aiWriting.options.<packId>`. |
+| `ctx.raw` | The text before code spans, fences, comments, and URLs are blanked. It has the same length as `ctx.stats.text`, so an index into one is an index into the other. |
 | `ctx.stats.text` | The text being scanned. |
 | `ctx.stats.words()` | `{ text, start, end }` per word. |
 | `ctx.stats.sentences()` | `{ text, start, end }` per sentence. |

plugins/concise/hooks/lib/patterns/ai/backtick-branches.mjs

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+// stripCode blanks code spans before packs run, so this check reads ctx.raw.
+// Without the engine change in engine.patch, ctx.raw is undefined and the pack reports nothing.
+const LEAD = String.raw`\b(?:from|into|onto|against|off|to|on|of|rebased? on|merged? into|checkout|switch to|pushed? to)\s+`;
+
+function branchPattern(branches) {
+  const names = branches.map((b) => b.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\/]/g, "\\$&")).join("|");
+  return new RegExp(`${LEAD}(?<lead>\`(?:${names})\`)|(?<tail>\`(?:${names})\`)(?=\\s+branch(?:es)?\\b)`, "gi");
+}
+
+export default {
+  id: "backtick-branches",
+  feature: "aiWriting",
+  category: "claude-tells",
+  scope: ["gh", "commit", "reply"],
+  presets: ["default", "ryan", "technical", "all"],
+  options: { branches: ["main", "master", "dev", "develop", "development", "staging", "stage", "production", "prod", "release", "trunk", "next", "beta", "canary"] },
+  notes: "Flags a branch name in backticks after `from`, `into`, `onto`, `against`, or a similar word, or before `branch`. Prose files stay out of scope: docs often set branch names as code by convention. Set `options.branches` to match the repo's branch names.",
+  detect(text, ctx) {
+    if (typeof ctx.raw !== "string" || ctx.raw.length !== text.length) return [];
+    const re = branchPattern(ctx.options.branches || []);
+    const out = [];
+    for (const m of ctx.raw.matchAll(re)) {
+      const hit = m.groups.lead || m.groups.tail;
+      out.push({ index: m.index + m[0].indexOf(hit), match: hit, fix: "drop the backticks around the branch name" });
+    }
+    return out;
+  },
+};

plugins/concise/hooks/lib/patterns/ai/british-spelling.json

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+{
+  "id": "british-spelling",
+  "feature": "aiWriting",
+  "category": { "id": "british-spelling", "label": "British spelling", "description": "British spellings in text that otherwise uses American English.", "tags": ["phrase", "claude"] },
+  "source": "Measured on Claude Code transcripts: Opus 5.5 wrote `behaviour` in 31% of uses, `labelled` in 58%, and `grey` in 77%; npm READMEs used them in 11%, 20%, and 30%",
+  "presets": ["ryan", "all"],
+  "scope": ["files", "comments", "gh", "commit", "reply"],
+  "notes": "A repo that writes British English lists `british-spelling` in `excludePacks`. `cancelled`, `judgement`, `acknowledgement`, `towards`, and `dialogue` are left out because American writers use them too. `analyses` is left out because it is also the plural of `analysis`. Elixir's `@behaviour` attribute sits in code, which the scan skips.",
+  "patterns": [
+    { "regex": "\\bbehaviour(?:s|al|ally)?\\b", "fix": "behavior", "show": "`behaviour`, `behaviours`, `behavioural`" },
+    { "regex": "\\bcolour(?:s|ed|ing|ful)?\\b", "fix": "color", "show": "`colour`, `colours`, `coloured`" },
+    { "regex": "\\b(?:fav|hon|neighb|lab|flav|hum|rum|harb|arm|vap)our(?:s|ed|ing|ite|ites|able|hood)?\\b", "fix": "drop the `u`: `favor`, `honor`, `neighbor`", "show": "`favour`, `honour`, `neighbour`, `labour`, `flavour`, `humour`, `rumour`, `harbour`, `armour`, `vapour`" },
+    { "regex": "\\b(?:label|model|travel|signal|fuel|level|tunnel|channel)l(?:ed|ing)\\b", "fix": "one `l`: `labeled`, `modeling`", "show": "`labelled`, `modelling`, `travelled`, `signalled`, `levelled`, `channelled`" },
+    { "regex": "\\b(?:cent|met|lit|fib|theat)re(?:s|d)?\\b", "fix": "`-er`: `center`, `meter`", "show": "`centre`, `metre`, `litre`, `fibre`, `theatre`" },
+    { "regex": "\\b(?:de)?(?:organi|recogni|reali|initiali|seriali|normali|optimi|minimi|maximi|prioriti|customi|finali|synchroni|saniti|authori|summari|categori|tokeni|visuali|standardi|generali|characteri|memori|parameteri|containeri|virtuali|centrali|capitali|emphasi|apologi|materiali|speciali|stabili|anonymi|randomi|locali|internationali|critici|digiti|moderni|personali)s(?:e|es|ed|ing|ation|ations|er|ers)\\b", "fix": "`-ize`, `-ization`", "show": "`-ise` and `-isation` forms such as `normalise`, `initialised`, `organisation`" },
+    { "regex": "\\b(?:analy|paraly|cataly)s(?:e|ed|ing)\\b", "fix": "`-yze`: `analyze`", "show": "`analyse`, `analysed`, `analysing`" },
+    { "phrase": "grey(?:s|ed|ing)?", "fix": "gray" },
+    { "phrase": "whilst", "fix": "while" },
+    { "phrase": "amongst", "fix": "among" },
+    { "phrase": "programmes?", "fix": "program" },
+    { "phrase": "licence[ds]?", "fix": "license" },
+    { "phrase": "defence|offence", "fix": "defense, offense" },
+    { "phrase": "catalogue[ds]?", "fix": "catalog" },
+    { "phrase": "artefacts?", "fix": "artifact" },
+    { "phrase": "spelt|learnt", "fix": "spelled, learned" },
+    { "phrase": "per cent", "fix": "percent" }
+  ]
+}

plugins/concise/hooks/lib/patterns/ai/claude-tells.json

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+{
+  "id": "claude-tells",
+  "feature": "aiWriting",
+  "category": { "id": "claude-tells", "label": "Claude tells", "description": "Phrasing that Claude 5.x models write far more often than people do.", "tags": ["phrase", "claude"] },
+  "source": "Measured on 1.29M words of Opus 5.5 Claude Code replies against 1.13M words of npm READMEs and 87K words of pre-2023 commits; Anthropic's Opus 5.5 and Fable 5.1 prompting guides",
+  "presets": ["default", "ryan", "technical", "all"],
+  "scope": ["files", "comments", "gh", "commit", "reply"],
+  "notes": "Every tier-1 row fired at most 0.02 times per 10,000 words in the README and commit baselines. The status-label row needs a verbless fragment at the start of a line or sentence, so `This is a known limitation, not a bug` stays with the `contrast` pack. The closing offer lives in `closing-offer.json` so it can be excluded alone.",
+  "patterns": [
+    { "regex": "\\b(?:the |this |that |its )?(?:docs?|documentation|README|comment|changelog|spec|plan|proposal|code|tests?|commit|PR|diff|issue|ticket|log|output|page|guide|report|schema|config)s? (?:itself )?(?:admits?|concedes?|confess(?:es)?|lies|pretends?|swears?)\\b", "fix": "say what the text states: `the doc says X`", "show": "`the doc admits`, `the code pretends`, `the test lies`" },
+    { "regex": "\\b(?:admits|concedes|confesses) (?:it|as much)\\b", "fix": "say what the text states", "show": "`admits it`, `concedes as much`" },
+    { "regex": "(?:^|[.!?:]\\s+|[-*]\\s+(?:\\*\\*)?)(?:Pre-?existing|Existing|Intentional|Deliberate|Expected|Cosmetic|Unrelated|Harmless|Benign|Separate|Known|Upstream|Flaky|Latent)\\b[^.!?\\n,]{0,30}(?<hit>,\\s+not\\s+(?:a |an |the )?[\\w-]+)", "flags": "gim", "fix": "cut the `not X` tail, the label already says it", "show": "`Existing bug, not a regression`" },
+    { "regex": "\\bthe (?<hit>big|huge|giant|scary) (?:one|migration|refactor|rewrite|change|fix|bug|risk|issue|problem|question|PR|diff|win|gap|piece|part|item|table|query|file|job|deploy|release|merge|commit|cleanup|update|upgrade)s?\\b", "fix": "cut the size word, or give the size", "show": "`the big migration`, `the huge refactor`" },
+    { "regex": "\\b(?:covers?|covered|exercises?|exercised|hits?|reach(?:es|ed)?|tests?|tested|guards?|skips?|suspect|traced?) (?:this|that|the same|either|each|both|the other) (?:code )?(?<hit>path)\\b", "fix": "name the branch: the function, condition, or flag", "show": "`covers this path`, `hits that path`" },
+    { "phrase": "on purpose", "fix": "put `intentionally` before the verb, or give the reason" },
+    { "regex": ",\\s*(?:by design|as intended|as designed)(?=\\s*[.!?;:)]|\\s*$)", "flags": "gim", "fix": "cut the tag, or give the reason", "show": "`, by design.`, `, as intended.`" },
+    { "regex": ",\\s*(?:with|given|plus) your [^.!?\\n,]{0,40}?\\b(?:note|caveat|point|comment|context|feedback|concern|flag|constraint|correction|request|ask|framing|numbers?|rule|instructions?)\\b", "fix": "put the aside in parentheses, or make it a clause", "show": "`, with your low call volume note`" },
+    { "phrase": "quietly", "fix": "cut it, or say what is not logged or reported" },
+    { "regex": "\\bearns? (?:its|their) (?:keep|place)\\b", "fix": "say what it does", "show": "`earns its keep`, `earns its place`" },
+    { "regex": "\\b(?:a|one) real (?:bug|risk|problem|issue|gap|concern|regression|win|finding)\\b|\\bthe real (?:fix|bug|risk|issue|problem|gap|cause|culprit|cost|blocker|story)\\b", "fix": "cut `real`", "tier": 2, "show": "`a real bug`, `the real gap`, `the real story`" },
+    { "regex": "\\breads (?:well|cleanly|naturally)\\b", "fix": "say what works", "tier": 2, "show": "`reads well`, `reads cleanly`" }
+  ]
+}