diff --git a/basis/alien/c-types/c-types.factor b/basis/alien/c-types/c-types.factor
index 46d63c3375..7a20632ca4 100644
--- a/basis/alien/c-types/c-types.factor
+++ b/basis/alien/c-types/c-types.factor
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ GENERIC: c-type ( name -- type ) foldable
 
 : parse-array-type ( name -- array )
     "[" split unclip
-    >r [ "]" ?tail drop string>number ] map r> prefix ;
+    [ [ "]" ?tail drop string>number ] map ] dip prefix ;
 
 M: string c-type ( name -- type )
     CHAR: ] over member? [
@@ -215,13 +215,13 @@ M: byte-array byte-length length ;
     ] [ ] make define-inline ;
 
 : nth-word ( name vocab -- word )
-    >r "-nth" append r> create ;
+    [ "-nth" append ] dip create ;
 
 : define-nth ( name vocab -- )
     dupd nth-word swap dup c-getter (define-nth) ;
 
 : set-nth-word ( name vocab -- word )
-    >r "set-" swap "-nth" 3append r> create ;
+    [ "set-" swap "-nth" 3append ] dip create ;
 
 : define-set-nth ( name vocab -- )
     dupd set-nth-word swap dup c-setter (define-nth) ;
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ M: byte-array byte-length length ;
 : typedef ( old new -- ) c-types get set-at ;
 
 : define-c-type ( type name vocab -- )
-    >r tuck typedef r> [ define-nth ] 2keep define-set-nth ;
+    [ tuck typedef ] dip [ define-nth ] 2keep define-set-nth ;
 
 TUPLE: long-long-type < c-type ;
 
@@ -249,12 +249,12 @@ M: long-long-type box-return ( type -- )
     f swap box-parameter ;
 
 : define-deref ( name vocab -- )
-    >r dup CHAR: * prefix r> create
+    [ dup CHAR: * prefix ] dip create
     swap c-getter 0 prefix define-inline ;
 
 : define-out ( name vocab -- )
     over [ <c-object> tuck 0 ] over c-setter append swap
-    >r >r constructor-word r> r> prefix define-inline ;
+    [ constructor-word ] 2dip prefix define-inline ;
 
 : c-bool> ( int -- ? )
     zero? not ;
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ M: long-long-type box-return ( type -- )
     dupd set-nth-word [ >c-array ] 2curry ;
 
 : to-array-word ( name vocab -- word )
-    >r ">c-" swap "-array" 3append r> create ;
+    [ ">c-" swap "-array" 3append ] dip create ;
 
 : define-to-array ( type vocab -- )
     [ to-array-word ] 2keep >c-array-quot
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ M: long-long-type box-return ( type -- )
     ] [ ] make ;
 
 : from-array-word ( name vocab -- word )
-    >r "c-" swap "-array>" 3append r> create ;
+    [ "c-" swap "-array>" 3append ] dip create ;
 
 : define-from-array ( type vocab -- )
     [ from-array-word ] 2keep c-array>quot
@@ -299,11 +299,13 @@ M: long-long-type box-return ( type -- )
 
 : expand-constants ( c-type -- c-type' )
     dup array? [
-        unclip >r [
-            dup word? [
-                def>> { } swap with-datastack first
-            ] when
-        ] map r> prefix
+        unclip [
+            [
+                dup word? [
+                    def>> { } swap with-datastack first
+                ] when
+            ] map
+        ] dip prefix
     ] when ;
 
 : malloc-file-contents ( path -- alien len )
diff --git a/basis/alien/strings/strings.factor b/basis/alien/strings/strings.factor
index b0faadb7fc..54a6cbfb4a 100644
--- a/basis/alien/strings/strings.factor
+++ b/basis/alien/strings/strings.factor
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ IN: alien.strings
 GENERIC# alien>string 1 ( c-ptr encoding -- string/f )
 
 M: c-ptr alien>string
-    >r <memory-stream> r> <decoder>
+    [ <memory-stream> ] [ <decoder> ] bi*
     "\0" swap stream-read-until drop ;
 
 M: f alien>string
diff --git a/basis/alien/structs/fields/fields.factor b/basis/alien/structs/fields/fields.factor
index 19e5b8c326..880c6f8413 100644
--- a/basis/alien/structs/fields/fields.factor
+++ b/basis/alien/structs/fields/fields.factor
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@ PREDICATE: slot-writer < word "writing" word-prop >boolean ;
     writer>> swap "writing" set-word-prop ;
 
 : reader-word ( class name vocab -- word )
-    >r >r "-" r> 3append r> create ;
+    [ "-" swap 3append ] dip create ;
 
 : writer-word ( class name vocab -- word )
-    >r [ swap "set-" % % "-" % % ] "" make r> create ;
+    [ [ swap "set-" % % "-" % % ] "" make ] dip create ;
 
 : <field-spec> ( struct-name vocab type field-name -- spec )
     field-spec new
diff --git a/basis/alien/structs/structs.factor b/basis/alien/structs/structs.factor
index 1131b1eecd..d1fdbef4c0 100644
--- a/basis/alien/structs/structs.factor
+++ b/basis/alien/structs/structs.factor
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ M: struct-type stack-size
 : c-struct? ( type -- ? ) (c-type) struct-type? ;
 
 : (define-struct) ( name vocab size align fields -- )
-    >r [ align ] keep r>
+    [ [ align ] keep ] dip
     struct-type boa
     -rot define-c-type ;
 
@@ -50,11 +50,11 @@ M: struct-type stack-size
     [ c-type-align ] map supremum ;
 
 : define-struct ( name vocab fields -- )
-    pick >r
-    [ struct-offsets ] keep
-    [ [ type>> ] map compute-struct-align ] keep
-    [ (define-struct) ] keep
-    r> [ swap define-field ] curry each ;
+    pick [
+        [ struct-offsets ] keep
+        [ [ type>> ] map compute-struct-align ] keep
+        [ (define-struct) ] keep
+    ] dip [ swap define-field ] curry each ;
 
 : define-union ( name vocab members -- )
     [ expand-constants ] map
diff --git a/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor b/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor
index 7629897fc0..b5f8780111 100644
--- a/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor
+++ b/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ IN: alien.syntax
     [ alien-invoke ] 2curry 2curry ;
 
 : define-function ( return library function parameters -- )
-    >r pick r> parse-arglist
+    [ pick ] dip parse-arglist
     pick create-in dup reset-generic
-    >r >r function-quot r> r> 
+    [ function-quot ] 2dip
     -rot define-declared ;
 
 PRIVATE>
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ PRIVATE>
     [ alien-indirect ] 3curry compose ;
 
 : define-indirect ( abi return function-ptr-quot function-name parameters -- )
-    >r pick r> parse-arglist
+    [ pick ] dip parse-arglist
     rot create-in dup reset-generic
-    >r >r swapd roll indirect-quot r> r>
+    [ swapd roll indirect-quot ] dip
     -rot define-declared ;
 
 : DLL" lexer get skip-blank parse-string dlopen parsed ; parsing
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ PRIVATE>
 : C-STRUCT:
     scan in get
     parse-definition
-    >r 2dup r> define-struct-early
+    [ 2dup ] dip define-struct-early
     define-struct ; parsing
 
 : C-UNION:
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ PRIVATE>
 : C-ENUM:
     ";" parse-tokens
     dup length
-    [ >r create-in r> 1quotation define ] 2each ;
+    [ [ create-in ] dip 1quotation define ] 2each ;
     parsing
 
 M: alien pprint*