diff --git a/basis/ascii/ascii-docs.factor b/basis/ascii/ascii-docs.factor
index 4c783e609c..b2bbc16836 100644
--- a/basis/ascii/ascii-docs.factor
+++ b/basis/ascii/ascii-docs.factor
@@ -57,8 +57,10 @@ HELP: >upper
 { $values { "str" "a string" } { "upper" "a string" } }
 { $description "Converts an ASCII string to upper case." } ;
 
-ARTICLE: "ascii" "ASCII character classes"
-"The " { $vocab-link "ascii" } " vocabulary implements traditional ASCII character classes:"
+ARTICLE: "ascii" "ASCII"
+"The " { $vocab-link "ascii" } " vocabulary implements support for the legacy ASCII character set. Most applications should use " { $link "unicode" } " instead."
+$nl
+"ASCII character classes:"
 { $subsection blank? }
 { $subsection letter? }
 { $subsection LETTER? }
@@ -67,11 +69,10 @@ ARTICLE: "ascii" "ASCII character classes"
 { $subsection control? }
 { $subsection quotable? }
 { $subsection ascii? }
-"ASCII case conversion is also implemented:"
+"ASCII case conversion:"
 { $subsection ch>lower }
 { $subsection ch>upper }
 { $subsection >lower }
-{ $subsection >upper }
-"Modern applications should use Unicode 5.1 instead (" { $vocab-link "unicode.categories" } ")." ;
+{ $subsection >upper } ;
 
 ABOUT: "ascii"
diff --git a/basis/ascii/ascii.factor b/basis/ascii/ascii.factor
index a64a7b8eb5..193e847d27 100644
--- a/basis/ascii/ascii.factor
+++ b/basis/ascii/ascii.factor
@@ -1,41 +1,23 @@
-! Copyright (C) 2005, 2008 Slava Pestov.
+! Copyright (C) 2005, 2009 Slava Pestov.
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
-USING: kernel math math.order sequences
-combinators.short-circuit ;
+USING: kernel math math.order sequences strings
+combinators.short-circuit hints ;
 IN: ascii
 
 : ascii? ( ch -- ? ) 0 127 between? ; inline
-
 : blank? ( ch -- ? ) " \t\n\r" member? ; inline
-
 : letter? ( ch -- ? ) CHAR: a CHAR: z between? ; inline
-
 : LETTER? ( ch -- ? ) CHAR: A CHAR: Z between? ; inline
-
 : digit? ( ch -- ? ) CHAR: 0 CHAR: 9 between? ; inline
-
 : printable? ( ch -- ? ) CHAR: \s CHAR: ~ between? ; inline
+: control? ( ch -- ? ) "\0\e\r\n\t\u000008\u00007f" member? ; inline
+: quotable? ( ch -- ? ) { [ printable? ] [ "\"\\" member? not ] } 1&& ; inline
+: Letter? ( ch -- ? ) { [ letter? ] [ LETTER? ] } 1|| ; inline
+: alpha? ( ch -- ? ) { [ Letter? ] [ digit? ] } 1|| ; inline
+: ch>lower ( ch -- lower ) dup LETTER? [ HEX: 20 + ] when ; inline
+: >lower ( str -- lower ) [ ch>lower ] map ;
+: ch>upper ( ch -- upper ) dup letter? [ HEX: 20 - ] when ; inline
+: >upper ( str -- upper ) [ ch>upper ] map ;
 
-: control? ( ch -- ? )
-    "\0\e\r\n\t\u000008\u00007f" member? ; inline
-
-: quotable? ( ch -- ? )
-    dup printable? [ "\"\\" member? not ] [ drop f ] if ; inline
-
-: Letter? ( ch -- ? )
-    [ [ letter? ] [ LETTER? ] ] 1|| ;
-
-: alpha? ( ch -- ? )
-    [ [ Letter? ] [ digit? ] ] 1|| ;
-
-: ch>lower ( ch -- lower )
-   dup CHAR: A CHAR: Z between? [ HEX: 20 + ] when ;
-
-: >lower ( str -- lower )
-   [ ch>lower ] map ;
-
-: ch>upper ( ch -- upper )
-    dup CHAR: a CHAR: z between? [ HEX: 20 - ] when ;
-
-: >upper ( str -- upper )
-    [ ch>upper ] map ;
+HINTS: >lower string ;
+HINTS: >upper string ;
\ No newline at end of file