diff --git a/janet/recursive.janet b/janet/recursive.janet
index 22860f5..e12f4bb 100644
--- a/janet/recursive.janet
+++ b/janet/recursive.janet
@@ -259,13 +259,18 @@
 
 (def sequels [:lparen :keyword])
 
-(defn- word [parser]
+(defn- word-expr [parser]
  (expect parser :word)
  (if (has-value? sequels (-> parser peek type)) (break (synthetic parser)))
  (def curr (-> parser current))
  (advance parser)
- {:type :word :data (curr :lexeme) :token curr}
- )
+ {:type :word :data (curr :lexeme) :token curr})
+
+(defn- word-only [parser]
+ (expect parser :word)
+ (def curr (current parser))
+ (advance parser)
+ {:type :word :data (curr :lexeme) :token curr})
 
 (defn- args [parser]
  (def origin (current parser))
@@ -289,7 +294,7 @@
      (set (ast :partial) true)
      (advance parser)
      {:type :placeholder :token origin}))
-   (try (nonbinding parser) ([e] e))))
+   (capture nonbinding parser)))
   (array/push (ast :data) term)
   (try (separators parser) 
    ([e] (pp e) (array/push (ast :data) e))))
@@ -297,20 +302,21 @@
  ast)
 
 (defn- synth-root [parser]
+ (print "parsing synth root")
  (def origin (current parser))
  (advance parser)
  (case (type origin)
   :word {:type :word :data (origin :lexeme) :token origin}
   :keyword {:type :keyword :data (origin :literal) :token origin}
-  :pkg-name {:type :pkg-name :data (origin :lexem) :token origin}
+  :pkg-name {:type :pkg-name :data (origin :lexeme) :token origin}
   (panic parser "expected word, keyword, or package")
  )
 )
 
 (defrec synthetic [parser]
+ (print "parsing synthetic")
  (def origin (current parser))
- (def ast {:type :synthetic :data @[(synth-root origin)] :token origin})
- (advance parser)
+ (def ast {:type :synthetic :data @[(synth-root parser)] :token origin})
  (while (has-value? sequels (-> parser current type))
   (def term 
    (case (-> parser current type)
@@ -333,7 +339,7 @@
    (def err {:type :error :token origin :msg "unclosed paren"})
    (array/push (parser :errors) err)
    (error err))
-  (def term (try (nonbinding parser) ([e] e)))
+  (def term (capture nonbinding parser))
   (array/push (ast :data) term)
   (try (separators parser) 
    ([e] (pp e) (array/push (ast :data) e))))
@@ -354,10 +360,10 @@
   (def term (if (check parser :splat)
    (do
     (advance parser)
-    (def splatted (try (word parser) ([e] e)))
+    (def splatted (try (word-only parser) ([e] e)))
     {:type :splat :data splatted :token origin}
    )
-   (try (nonbinding parser) ([e] e))))
+   (capture nonbinding parser)))
   (array/push (ast :data) term)
   (try (separators parser)
    ([e] (array/push (ast :data) e))))
@@ -378,10 +384,10 @@
   (def term (if (check parser :splat)
    (do
     (advance parser)
-    (def splatted (capture word parser))
+    (def splatted (capture word-only parser))
     {:type :splat :data splatted :token origin}
    )
-   (try (nonbinding parser) ([e] e))))
+   (capture nonbinding parser)))
   (array/push (ast :data) term)
   (try (separators parser)
    ([e] (array/push (ast :data) e))))
@@ -400,11 +406,11 @@
    (error err))
   (def origin (current parser))
   (def term (case (type origin)
-   :splat {:type :splat :data (try (word (advance parser)) ([e] e)) :token origin}
-   :word (try (word parser) ([e] e))
+   :splat {:type :splat :data (capture word-only (advance parser)) :token origin}
+   :word (try (word-only parser) ([e] e))
    :keyword (do
     (def key (try (kw parser) ([e] e)))
-    (def value (try (nonbinding parser) ([e] e)))
+    (def value (capture nonbinding parser))
     {:type :pair :data [key value] :token origin})
    (try (panic parser (string expect "expected dict term, got " (type origin))) ([e] e))
   ))
@@ -448,9 +454,9 @@
   (def term (if (check parser :splat)
    (do
     (advance parser)
-    (def splatted (if (check parser :word) (word parser) nil))
+    (def splatted (when (check parser :word) (word-only parser)))
     {:type :splat :data splatted :token origin})
-   (try (pattern parser) ([e] e))))
+   (capture pattern parser)))
   (array/push (ast :data) term)
   (try (separators parser) 
    ([e] (pp e) (array/push (ast :data) e))))
@@ -471,9 +477,9 @@
   (def term (if (check parser :splat)
    (do
     (advance parser)
-    (def splatted (if (check parser :word) (word parser) nil))
+    (def splatted (when (check parser :word) (word-only parser)))
     {:type :splat :data splatted :token origin})
-   (try (pattern parser) ([e] e))))
+   (capture pattern parser)))
   (array/push (ast :data) term)
   (try (separators parser)
    ([e] (array/push (ast :data) e))))
@@ -492,8 +498,8 @@
    (error err))
   (def origin (current parser))
   (def term (case (type origin)
-   :splat {:type :splat :data (try (word (advance parser)) ([_] nil)) :token origin}
-   :word (try (word parser) ([e] e))
+   :splat {:type :splat :data (when (check (advance parser) :word) (word-only parser)) :token origin}
+   :word (capture word-pattern parser)
    :keyword (do
     (def key (capture kw parser))
     (def value (capture pattern parser))
@@ -658,39 +664,49 @@
  (expect parser :with) (advance parser)
  (try
   (do
-   (expect parser :lbrace) (advance parser)
+   (expect parser :lbrace) (var lbrace (current parser)) (advance parser)
    (accept-many parser ;terminators)
-   (def data @[])
    (def clauses @[])
    (array/push clauses (with-clause parser))
    (accept-many parser ;terminators)
    (while (not (check parser :rbrace))
     (if (check parser :eof)
-     (error {:type :error :data data :token origin :msg "unclosed brace"}))
+     (error {:type :error :data [clauses] :token lbrace :msg "unclosed brace"}))
     (array/push clauses (with-clause parser))
     (accept-many parser ;terminators))
-   (array/push data clauses)
+   (advance parser) # consume closing brace
    (accept-many parser :newline)
    (expect parser :then) (advance parser)
-   (array/push data (nonbinding parser))
+   (def then (nonbinding parser))
    (accept-many parser :newline)
    (expect parser :else) (advance parser)
-   (array/push data (nonbinding parser))
-   {:type :with :data data :token origin})
+   (expect parser :lbrace) (set lbrace (current parser)) (advance parser)
+   (accept-many parser ;terminators)
+   (def else @[])
+   (while (not (check parser :rbrace))
+    (when (check parser :eof) (error {:type :error :token lbrace :data [else] :msg "unclosed brace"}))
+    (array/push else (match-clause parser)))
+   (advance parser)
+   {:type :with :data [clauses then else] :token origin})
   ([err] err)
  )
 )
 
 ### function forms
 (defn- fn-simple [parser]
+ (print "parsing simple function body")
  (try
   (do
    (def lhs (tup-pattern parser))
+   (print "parsed lhs")
    (def guard (when (check parser :if)
     (advance parser)
     (simple parser)))
+   (print "parsed guard")
    (expect parser :arrow) (advance parser)
+   (print "parsed arrow")
    (def rhs (nonbinding parser))
+   (print "parsed rhs")
    [[lhs guard rhs]]
   )
   ([err] err)
@@ -718,6 +734,7 @@
 )
 
 (defn- fn-clauses [parser]
+ (print "parsing fn clauses")
  (def origin (current parser))
  (expect parser :lbrace) (advance parser)
  (accept-many parser ;terminators)
@@ -728,25 +745,31 @@
   (array/push data (capture fn-clause parser)))
  data)
 
-(defn- fnn [parser]
- (try
-  (do
-   (def origin (current parser))
-   (expect parser :fn) (advance parser)
-   (def name (word parser))
-   (def data (case (-> parser current type)
-    :lbrace (fn-clauses parser)
-    :lparen (fn-simple parser)
-    (panic parser (string "expected clause or clauses, got " (-> current parser type)))))
-   {:type :fn :name name :data data :token origin}
-  )
-  ([err] err)))
-
 (defn- lambda [parser]
  (def origin (current parser))
  (expect parser :fn) (advance parser)
  {:type :fn :data (fn-simple parser) :token origin})
 
+(defn- fnn [parser]
+ (if (= :lparen (-> parser peek type)) (break (lambda parser)))
+ (try
+  (do
+   (print "parsing named function")
+   (def origin (current parser))
+   (expect parser :fn) (advance parser)
+   (print "consumed `fn`")
+   (print "next token: ")
+   (pp (current parser))
+   (def name (-> parser word-only (get :data)))
+   (print "function name: ")
+   (pp name)
+   (def data (case (-> parser current type)
+    :lbrace (fn-clauses parser)
+    :lparen (fn-simple parser)
+    (panic parser (string "expected clause or clauses, got " (-> current parser type)))))
+   {:type :fn :name name :data data :token origin})
+  ([err] err)))
+
 ### compoound forms
 (defn- block [parser]
  (def origin (current parser))
@@ -770,7 +793,10 @@
  (expect parser :do) (advance parser)
  (def data @[])
  (array/push data (capture simple parser))
+ (print "added first expression. current token:")
+ (pp (current parser))
  (while (check parser :pipeline)
+  (advance parser)
   (accept-many parser :newline)
   (array/push data (capture simple parser)))
  {:type :do :data data :token origin})
@@ -781,7 +807,7 @@
  (expect parser :ref) (advance parser)
  (try
   (do
-   (def name (word parser))
+   (def name (-> parser word-only (get :data)))
    (expect parser :equals) (advance parser)
    (def value (nonbinding parser))
    {:type :ref :data value :name name :token origin})
@@ -807,7 +833,7 @@
   (do
    (def origin (current parser))
    (expect parser :pkg) (advance parser)
-   (def name (pkg-name parser))
+   (def name (-> parser pkg-name (get :data)))
    (expect parser :lbrace) (advance parser)
    (accept-many parser ;terminators)
    (def data @[])
@@ -822,7 +848,7 @@
       (def key (capture kw parser))
       (def value (capture simple parser))
       (array/push data {:type :pair :data [key value] :token origin}))
-     :word (array/push (capture word parser))
+     :word (array/push (capture word-only parser))
      (panic parser "expected dict term"))
     (terminator parser))
    {:type :pkg :data data :token origin :name name})
@@ -833,7 +859,7 @@
   (do  
    (def origin (current parser))
    (expect parser :ns) (advance parser)
-   (def name (pkg-name parser))
+   (def name (-> parser pkg-name (get :data)))
    (def body (block parser))
    {:type :ns :data body :name name :token origin})
   ([err] err)))
@@ -843,7 +869,9 @@
  (expect parser :import) (advance parser)
  (def path (str parser))
  (expect parser :as) (advance parser)
- (def name (pkg-name parser))
+ (def name-parser (if (check parser :pkg-name) pkg-name word-only))
+ (def name 
+  (-> parser name-parser (get :data)))
  {:type :import :data path :name name :token origin})
 
 ### tests
@@ -874,14 +902,21 @@
 
 (defn- repeatt [parser]
  (def origin (current parser))
+ (advance parser)
  (def times (case (-> parser current type)
   :number (num parser)
-  :word (word parser)
+  :word (word-only parser)
   (panic parser "expected number or word")
  ))
  (def body (block parser))
  {:type :repeat :data [times body] :token origin})
 
+### panics
+(defn- panicc [parser]
+ (def origin (current parser))
+ (expect parser :panic) (advance parser)
+ {:type :panic :data (nonbinding parser) :token origin})
+
 ### expressions
 # four levels of expression complexity:
 # simple (atoms, collections, synthetic expressions; no conditionals or binding or blocks)
@@ -904,9 +939,10 @@
   :lbracket (list parser)
   :startdict (dict parser)
   :startset (sett parser)
-  :word (word parser)
+  :word (word-expr parser)
   :pkg-name (pkg-name parser)
   :recur (recur parser)
+  :panic (panicc parser)
   (panic parser (string expect "expected simple expression, got " (type curr)))
  )
 )
@@ -936,7 +972,7 @@
   :startset (sett parser)
 
   # synthetic
-  :word (word parser)
+  :word (word-expr parser)
   :pkg-name (pkg-name parser)
   :recur (recur parser)
 
@@ -955,6 +991,13 @@
   # blocks
   :lbrace (block parser)
 
+  # looping forms
+  :loop (loopp parser)
+  :repeat (repeatt parser)
+
+  # panic!
+  :panic (panicc parser)
+  
   (panic parser (string "expected nonbinding expression, got " (type curr)))
  )
 )
@@ -978,7 +1021,7 @@
   :lbracket (list parser)
   :startdict (dict parser)
   :startset (sett parser)
-  :word (word parser)
+  :word (word-expr parser)
   :pkg-name (pkg-name parser)
   :recur (recur parser)
   :if (iff parser)
@@ -987,6 +1030,9 @@
   :with (withh parser)
   :do (doo parser)
   :lbrace (block parser)
+  :loop (loopp parser)
+  :repeat (repeatt parser)
+  :panic (panicc parser)
   (panic parser (string "expected expression, got " (type curr)))
  )
 )
@@ -1035,13 +1081,14 @@
 (do
 #(comment
 (def source `
-fn foo (x) -> :foo
+panic! foo
 `)
 (def scanned (s/scan source))
 (def a-parser (new-parser scanned))
-(def parsed (script a-parser))
 (print "\n***NEW PARSE***\n")
-(print (pp-ast parsed))
+(def parsed (toplevel a-parser))
+# (print (pp-ast parsed))
+(pp parsed)
 )
 
 
@@ -1049,4 +1096,3 @@ fn foo (x) -> :foo
 # TODO:
 # DECIDE:
 # - when to use a flat try/catch format, and when to use capture/expect-ret to get values instead of errors
-