diff --git a/pkg/rudus.d.ts b/pkg/rudus.d.ts
index 363ba34..23ca68f 100644
--- a/pkg/rudus.d.ts
+++ b/pkg/rudus.d.ts
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ export interface InitOutput {
   readonly __wbindgen_malloc: (a: number, b: number) => number;
   readonly __wbindgen_realloc: (a: number, b: number, c: number, d: number) => number;
   readonly __wbindgen_export_6: WebAssembly.Table;
-  readonly closure304_externref_shim: (a: number, b: number, c: any) => void;
-  readonly closure328_externref_shim: (a: number, b: number, c: any, d: any) => void;
+  readonly closure303_externref_shim: (a: number, b: number, c: any) => void;
+  readonly closure327_externref_shim: (a: number, b: number, c: any, d: any) => void;
   readonly __wbindgen_start: () => void;
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/rudus.js b/pkg/rudus.js
index 483c42b..77903a2 100644
--- a/pkg/rudus.js
+++ b/pkg/rudus.js
@@ -240,13 +240,13 @@ function _assertNum(n) {
 function __wbg_adapter_20(arg0, arg1, arg2) {
     _assertNum(arg0);
     _assertNum(arg1);
-    wasm.closure304_externref_shim(arg0, arg1, arg2);
+    wasm.closure303_externref_shim(arg0, arg1, arg2);
 }
 
 function __wbg_adapter_50(arg0, arg1, arg2, arg3) {
     _assertNum(arg0);
     _assertNum(arg1);
-    wasm.closure328_externref_shim(arg0, arg1, arg2, arg3);
+    wasm.closure327_externref_shim(arg0, arg1, arg2, arg3);
 }
 
 async function __wbg_load(module, imports) {
@@ -425,8 +425,8 @@ function __wbg_get_imports() {
         _assertBoolean(ret);
         return ret;
     };
-    imports.wbg.__wbindgen_closure_wrapper7890 = function() { return logError(function (arg0, arg1, arg2) {
-        const ret = makeMutClosure(arg0, arg1, 305, __wbg_adapter_20);
+    imports.wbg.__wbindgen_closure_wrapper7980 = function() { return logError(function (arg0, arg1, arg2) {
+        const ret = makeMutClosure(arg0, arg1, 304, __wbg_adapter_20);
         return ret;
     }, arguments) };
     imports.wbg.__wbindgen_debug_string = function(arg0, arg1) {
diff --git a/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm b/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm
index d7317fa..391ce7f 100644
Binary files a/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm and b/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm differ
diff --git a/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm.d.ts b/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm.d.ts
index 29db78a..2755b90 100644
--- a/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm.d.ts
+++ b/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm.d.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,6 @@ export const __wbindgen_free: (a: number, b: number, c: number) => void;
 export const __wbindgen_malloc: (a: number, b: number) => number;
 export const __wbindgen_realloc: (a: number, b: number, c: number, d: number) => number;
 export const __wbindgen_export_6: WebAssembly.Table;
-export const closure304_externref_shim: (a: number, b: number, c: any) => void;
-export const closure328_externref_shim: (a: number, b: number, c: any, d: any) => void;
+export const closure303_externref_shim: (a: number, b: number, c: any) => void;
+export const closure327_externref_shim: (a: number, b: number, c: any, d: any) => void;
 export const __wbindgen_start: () => void;
diff --git a/src/errors.rs b/src/errors.rs
index 086ced4..2d2b4f3 100644
--- a/src/errors.rs
+++ b/src/errors.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // use crate::process::{LErr, Trace};
 use crate::lexer::Token;
 use crate::validator::VErr;
+use chumsky::error::RichPattern;
 use chumsky::prelude::*;
 
 const SEPARATOR: &str = "\n\n";
@@ -42,10 +43,50 @@ pub fn validation(errs: Vec<VErr>) -> String {
     msgs.join(SEPARATOR)
 }
 
-pub fn parsing(errs: Vec<Rich<'static, Token>>) -> String {
-    let mut msg = "Syntax errors".to_string();
+pub fn parsing(errs: Vec<Rich<'static, Token>>, src: &'static str, input: &'static str) -> String {
+    let mut msgs = vec!["Ludus found some errors.".to_string()];
     for err in errs {
-        msg = format!("{msg}\n{:#?}", err);
+        let mut msg = vec![];
+        let line_number = line_number(src, *err.span());
+        let line = get_line(src, line_number);
+        let details = parsing_message(err);
+        msg.push(format!("Syntax error: {}", details));
+        msg.push(format!("  on line {} in {}", line_number + 1, input));
+        msg.push(format!("  >>> {line}"));
+        msgs.push(msg.join("\n"))
     }
-    msg
+    msgs.join(SEPARATOR)
+}
+
+fn parsing_message(err: Rich<'static, Token>) -> String {
+    let found = match err.found() {
+        Some(token) => token.show(),
+        None => "end of input".to_string(),
+    };
+    let expected = err.expected();
+    let mut expecteds = vec![];
+    for pattern in expected {
+        let shown = match pattern {
+            RichPattern::Token(t) => t.show(),
+            RichPattern::Label(s) => s.to_string(),
+            RichPattern::Identifier(s) => s.clone(),
+            RichPattern::Any => "any".to_string(),
+            RichPattern::SomethingElse => "something else".to_string(),
+            RichPattern::EndOfInput => "eof".to_string(),
+        };
+        expecteds.push(shown);
+    }
+    let expecteds = if expecteds.iter().any(|e| e == &"else".to_string()) {
+        vec!["else".to_string()]
+    } else {
+        expecteds
+    };
+    let expecteds = if expecteds.iter().any(|e| e == &"then".to_string()) {
+        vec!["then".to_string()]
+    } else {
+        expecteds
+    };
+
+    let expecteds = expecteds.join(" | ");
+    format!("Ludus did not expect to see: {found}\n    expected: {expecteds}")
 }
diff --git a/src/lexer.rs b/src/lexer.rs
index 3711436..c9090d6 100644
--- a/src/lexer.rs
+++ b/src/lexer.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use crate::spans::*;
 use chumsky::prelude::*;
 use std::fmt;
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Debug)]
 pub enum Token {
     Nil,
     Number(f64),
@@ -32,6 +32,24 @@ impl fmt::Display for Token {
     }
 }
 
+impl Token {
+    pub fn show(&self) -> String {
+        match self {
+            Token::Number(n) => format!("{n}"),
+            Token::Boolean(b) => format!("{b}"),
+            Token::Keyword(k) => format!(":{k}"),
+            Token::Method(m) => format!("::{m}"),
+            Token::Nil => "nil".to_string(),
+            Token::String(s) => format!("\"{s}\""),
+            Token::Reserved(s) | Token::Word(s) => s.to_string(),
+            Token::Punctuation(s) => {
+                let out = if *s == "\n" { "newline" } else { s };
+                out.to_string()
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn lexer(
 ) -> impl Parser<'static, &'static str, Vec<(Token, Span)>, extra::Err<Rich<'static, char, Span>>> {
     let number = just('-')
@@ -71,14 +89,14 @@ pub fn lexer(
     let escape = just('\\')
         .then(choice((
             just('\\').to('\\'),
-            just('"').to('"'),
             just('n').to('\n'),
             just('t').to('\t'),
             just('r').to('\r'),
+            just('"').to('"'), // TODO: figure out why this isn't working
         )))
         .ignored();
 
-    let string = none_of("\\\"")
+    let string = none_of('"')
         .ignored()
         .or(escape)
         .repeated()
@@ -147,6 +165,6 @@ mod tests {
             .0
             .unwrap();
         let (token, _) = spanned_toks[0].clone();
-        assert_eq!(token, Token::String("foo \\\"bar baz"));
+        assert_eq!(token, Token::String("foo \"bar baz"));
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index ab8bf89..875aacd 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ pub async fn ludus(src: String) {
         .parse(Stream::from_iter(tokens).map((0..src.len()).into(), |(t, s)| (t, s)))
         .into_output_errors();
     if !parse_errors.is_empty() {
-        send_err_to_ludus_console(parsing(parse_errors)).await;
+        send_err_to_ludus_console(parsing(parse_errors, src, "user script")).await;
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/parser.rs b/src/parser.rs
index c7628c5..0d355cd 100644
--- a/src/parser.rs
+++ b/src/parser.rs
@@ -141,13 +141,15 @@ where
         just(Token::Punctuation(","))
             .or(just(Token::Punctuation("\n")))
             .then(separators.clone().repeated())
-    });
+    })
+    .labelled("separator");
 
     let terminators = recursive(|terminators| {
         just(Token::Punctuation(";"))
             .or(just(Token::Punctuation("\n")))
             .then(terminators.clone().repeated())
-    });
+    })
+    .labelled("terminator");
 
     let placeholder_pattern =
         select! {Token::Punctuation("_") => PlaceholderPattern}.map_with(|p, e| (p, e.span()));
@@ -207,7 +209,8 @@ where
         .allow_trailing()
         .collect()
         .delimited_by(just(Token::Punctuation("[")), just(Token::Punctuation("]")))
-        .map_with(|list, e| (ListPattern(list), e.span()));
+        .map_with(|list, e| (ListPattern(list), e.span()))
+        .labelled("list pattern");
 
     let key_pair_pattern = select! {Token::Keyword(k) => k}
         .then(pattern.clone())
@@ -228,6 +231,7 @@ where
         .or(shorthand_pattern)
         .or(str_pair_pattern)
         .or(splattern.clone())
+        .labelled("pair pattern")
         .separated_by(separators.clone())
         .allow_leading()
         .allow_trailing()
@@ -238,11 +242,14 @@ where
         )
         .map_with(|dict, e| (DictPattern(dict), e.span()));
 
-    let keyword = select! {Token::Keyword(k) => Keyword(k)}.map_with(|k, e| (k, e.span()));
+    let keyword = select! {Token::Keyword(k) => Keyword(k)}
+        .map_with(|k, e| (k, e.span()))
+        .labelled("keyword");
 
     let as_pattern = select! {Token::Word(w) => w}
         .then_ignore(just(Token::Reserved("as")))
         .then(select! {Token::Keyword(k) => k})
+        .labelled("keyword")
         .map_with(|(w, t), e| (AsPattern(w, t), e.span()));
 
     pattern.define(
@@ -289,7 +296,8 @@ where
         .allow_trailing()
         .collect()
         .delimited_by(just(Token::Punctuation("(")), just(Token::Punctuation(")")))
-        .map_with(|tuple, e| (Tuple(tuple), e.span()));
+        .map_with(|tuple, e| (Tuple(tuple), e.span()))
+        .labelled("tuple");
 
     let args = simple
         .clone()
@@ -299,7 +307,8 @@ where
         .allow_trailing()
         .collect()
         .delimited_by(just(Token::Punctuation("(")), just(Token::Punctuation(")")))
-        .map_with(|args, e| (Arguments(args), e.span()));
+        .map_with(|args, e| (Arguments(args), e.span()))
+        .labelled("args");
 
     let or = just(Token::Reserved("or")).map_with(|_, e| (Or, e.span()));
 
@@ -307,7 +316,8 @@ where
 
     let method = select!(Token::Method(m) => m)
         .then(tuple.clone())
-        .map_with(|(m, t), e| (Ast::Method(m, Box::new(t)), e.span()));
+        .map_with(|(m, t), e| (Ast::Method(m, Box::new(t)), e.span()))
+        .labelled("method");
 
     let synth_root = or.or(and).or(word).or(keyword);
 
@@ -327,7 +337,8 @@ where
                 Splat(if let Word(w) = w { w } else { unreachable!() }),
                 e.span(),
             )
-        });
+        })
+        .labelled("...");
 
     let list = simple
         .clone()