diff --git a/basis/alien/c-types/c-types-tests.factor b/basis/alien/c-types/c-types-tests.factor
index 31542b2699..40171f56e7 100644
--- a/basis/alien/c-types/c-types-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/alien/c-types/c-types-tests.factor
@@ -8,10 +8,6 @@ sequences system libc alien.strings io.encodings.utf8 ;
 
 [ { "blah" 123 } ] [ { "blah" xyz } expand-constants ] unit-test
 
-: foo ( -- n ) &: fdafd [ 123 ] unless* ;
-
-[ 123 ] [ foo ] unit-test
-
 [ -1 ] [ -1 <char> *char ] unit-test
 [ -1 ] [ -1 <short> *short ] unit-test
 [ -1 ] [ -1 <int> *int ] unit-test
diff --git a/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor b/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor
index a02d2f3cb4..bed454e81d 100644
--- a/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor
+++ b/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ USING: accessors arrays alien alien.c-types alien.structs
 alien.arrays alien.strings kernel math namespaces parser
 sequences words quotations math.parser splitting grouping
 effects assocs combinators lexer strings.parser alien.parser 
-fry vocabs.parser ;
+fry vocabs.parser words.constant ;
 IN: alien.syntax
 
 : DLL" lexer get skip-blank parse-string dlopen parsed ; parsing
@@ -31,10 +31,11 @@ IN: alien.syntax
 
 : C-ENUM:
     ";" parse-tokens
-    dup length
-    [ [ create-in ] dip 1quotation define ] 2each ;
+    [ [ create-in ] dip define-constant ] each-index ;
     parsing
 
+: address-of ( name library -- value )
+    load-library dlsym [ "No such symbol" throw ] unless* ;
+
 : &:
-    scan "c-library" get
-    '[ _ _ load-library dlsym ] over push-all ; parsing
+    scan "c-library" get '[ _ _ address-of ] over push-all ; parsing
diff --git a/basis/heaps/heaps-tests.factor b/basis/heaps/heaps-tests.factor
index 8fa6a274e7..7e780cbe5e 100644
--- a/basis/heaps/heaps-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/heaps/heaps-tests.factor
@@ -32,10 +32,8 @@ IN: heaps.tests
 
 : random-alist ( n -- alist )
     [
-        [
-            32 random-bits dup number>string swap set
-        ] times
-    ] H{ } make-assoc ;
+        drop 32 random-bits dup number>string
+    ] H{ } map>assoc ;
 
 : test-heap-sort ( n -- ? )
     random-alist dup >alist sort-keys swap heap-sort = ;
diff --git a/core/slots/slots.factor b/core/slots/slots.factor
index 99766cadc2..f166378d9d 100644
--- a/core/slots/slots.factor
+++ b/core/slots/slots.factor
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-! Copyright (C) 2005, 2008 Slava Pestov.
+! Copyright (C) 2005, 2009 Slava Pestov.
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
 USING: arrays byte-arrays kernel kernel.private math namespaces
 make sequences strings words effects generic generic.standard
 classes classes.algebra slots.private combinators accessors
-words sequences.private assocs alien quotations ;
+words sequences.private assocs alien quotations hashtables ;
 IN: slots
 
 TUPLE: slot-spec name offset class initial read-only ;
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ ERROR: bad-slot-value value class ;
     ] [ ] make ;
 
 : writer-props ( slot-spec -- assoc )
-    [ "writing" set ] H{ } make-assoc ;
+    "writing" associate ;
 
 : define-writer ( class slot-spec -- )
     [ name>> writer-word ] [ writer-quot ] [ writer-props ] tri