diff --git a/MANUAL.txt b/MANUAL.txt
index 5610757325f9..26c2771c5c22 100644
--- a/MANUAL.txt
+++ b/MANUAL.txt
@@ -3278,6 +3278,9 @@ enabled by default in
 Note: If you are *writing* Markdown, then the `smart` extension
 has the reverse effect: what would have been curly quotes comes
 out straight.
+If you prefer straight quotes, you will want to disable this extension 
+when writing (e.g. `-t markdown-smart`), otherwise 
+all quotes will be escaped in markdown (see [Backslash Escapes](#backslash-escapes)).
 
 In LaTeX, `smart` means to use the standard TeX ligatures
 for quotation marks (` `` ` and ` '' ` for double quotes,
@@ -3337,7 +3340,7 @@ above; the second will get the same identifier with `-1` appended; the
 third with `-2`; and so on.
 
 (However, a different algorithm is used if
-`gfm_auto_identifiers` is enabled; see below.)
+[`gfm_auto_identifiers`](#extension-gfm_auto_identifiers) is enabled.)
 
 These identifiers are used to provide link targets in the table of
 contents generated by the `--toc|--table-of-contents` option. They
@@ -3591,6 +3594,24 @@ alphabetical markers for ordered lists to be parsed in addition to arabic ones.
 Note that for Org, this does not include roman numerals or the `#` placeholder
 that are enabled by the extension in Pandoc's Markdown.
 
+Assume that you have some bullets that start with parenthesized digits or alphabetical chars,
+and you don't want them to be interpreted as fancy list items
+(e.g. because you need to manage the numbering yourself):
+
+    First instruction (1)
+    Second instruction (A)
+    Third instruction (2)
+    Fourth instruction (1,2)
+    
+    The following guidance applies:
+    - (1) First commandment
+    - (2) Second commandment
+    - (A) Aleph commandment
+
+Then you will want to disable this extension
+when writing (e.g. `-t markdown-fancy_lists`), otherwise 
+the parentheses will be escaped in markdown (see [Backslash Escapes](#backslash-escapes)).
+
 #### Extension: `element_citations` ####
 
 In the `jats` output formats, this causes reference items to