diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml
index c76d357..19197ce 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml
@@ -5426,7 +5426,7 @@ SELECT SUBSTRING('XY1234Z', 'Y*?([0-9]{1,3})');
          <literal><function>to_date(<type>text</type>, <type>text</type>)</function></literal>
         </entry>
         <entry><type>date</type></entry>
-        <entry>convert string to date</entry>
+        <entry>convert string to date (see usage notes)</entry>
         <entry><literal>to_date('05&nbsp;Dec&nbsp;2000', 'DD&nbsp;Mon&nbsp;YYYY')</literal></entry>
        </row>
        <row>
@@ -5448,7 +5448,7 @@ SELECT SUBSTRING('XY1234Z', 'Y*?([0-9]{1,3})');
          <literal><function>to_timestamp(<type>text</type>, <type>text</type>)</function></literal>
         </entry>
         <entry><type>timestamp with time zone</type></entry>
-        <entry>convert string to time stamp</entry>
+        <entry>convert string to time stamp (see usage notes)</entry>
         <entry><literal>to_timestamp('05&nbsp;Dec&nbsp;2000', 'DD&nbsp;Mon&nbsp;YYYY')</literal></entry>
        </row>
        <row>
@@ -5750,10 +5750,32 @@ SELECT SUBSTRING('XY1234Z', 'Y*?([0-9]{1,3})');
 
    <para>
     Usage notes for date/time formatting:
+   </para>
 
+   <para>
     <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
       <para>
+       The <function>to_date</function> and <function>to_timestamp</function>
+       functions exist to parse unusual input formats that cannot be handled
+       by casting.  These functions interpret input liberally and with minimal
+       error checking so the conversion has the potential to yield unexpected
+       results.  Read the following notes and test carefully before use.
+       Casting is the preferred method of conversion wherever possible.
+      </para>
+     </listitem>
+
+     <listitem>
+      <para>
+       Input to <function>to_date</function> and
+       <function>to_timestamp</function> is not restricted to normal ranges
+       thus <literal>to_date('20096040','YYYYMMDD')</literal> returns
+       <literal>2014-01-17</literal> rather than generating an error.
+      </para>
+     </listitem>
+
+     <listitem>
+      <para>
        <literal>FM</literal> suppresses leading zeroes and trailing blanks
        that would otherwise be added to make the output of a pattern be
        fixed-width.  In <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>,