diff --git a/forge/builtins/builtins.go b/forge/builtins/builtins.go
index 28769bb..a752388 100644
--- a/forge/builtins/builtins.go
+++ b/forge/builtins/builtins.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ type FE = forge.FE
 type XT = forge.XT
 
 type builtins struct {
-	Add, Comp, Dup, Get, Here, Lit, Mult, New, Put, Reg XT
+	Add, Dup, Get, Lit, Mult, Put, Reg XT
 }
 
 func Get(f FE) *builtins {
@@ -26,13 +26,10 @@ func setup(f FE) *builtins {
 	}
 	b := builtins{
 		Add:  r("+", func(f FE, _ XT) { f.Push(f.Pop().(int) + f.Pop().(int)) }),
-		Comp: r("comp", func(f FE, _ XT) { f.Compile(f.Pop()) }),
 		Dup:  r("dup", func(f FE, _ XT) { f.Push(f.Peek(0)) }),
 		Get:  r("@", func(f FE, _ XT) { f.Push(f.Pop().(forge.FPtr).Value()) }),
-		Here: r("here", func(f FE, _ XT) { f.Push(f.Here()) }),
 		Lit:  r("literal", func(f FE, _ XT) { f.Push(f.Literal()) }),
 		Mult: r("*", func(f FE, _ XT) { f.Push(f.Pop().(int) * f.Pop().(int)) }),
-		New:  r("new", func(f FE, _ XT) { f.New() }),
 		Put:  r("!", func(f FE, _ XT) { f.Pop().(forge.FPtr).Set(f.Pop()) }),
 		Reg: r("reg", func(f FE, _ XT) {
 			f.Push(forge.Register(voc,
diff --git a/forge/forge.go b/forge/forge.go
index 68aa6b9..c23ba17 100644
--- a/forge/forge.go
+++ b/forge/forge.go
@@ -174,18 +174,8 @@ func (f *forgeEnv) Create(name string, value fitem, code fptr) XT {
 
 // core methods
 
-func (f *forgeEnv) New() {
-	f.cp = newPtr()
-}
-
-func (f *forgeEnv) Compile(its ...fitem) {
-	for _, it := range its {
-		f.cp.Append(it)
-	}
-}
-
-func (f *forgeEnv) Here() fptr {
-	return f.cp.Clone()
+func (f *forgeEnv) NewVar() fptr {
+	return newScalar()
 }
 
 func (f *forgeEnv) Literal() fitem {
diff --git a/tests/forge_test.go b/tests/forge_test.go
index 39a2959..d71fb2f 100644
--- a/tests/forge_test.go
+++ b/tests/forge_test.go
@@ -25,22 +25,23 @@ func ExecTest(t *testing.T) {
 	fe.Exec(b.Lit, 3, sq, b.Lit, 2, b.Add)
 	t.AssertEqual(fe.Pop(), 11)
 	seven := fe.Create("seven", 7, fe.Code(b.Get))
-	//fe.Exec(b.Lit, 7, seven, b.Put)
 	fe.Exec(b.Lit, 3, seven, sq, b.Add)
 	t.AssertEqual(fe.Pop(), 52)
 }
 
 func CoreTest(t *testing.T) {
-	//sq := fe.Def("square", b.Dup, b.Mult)
-	//fe.Comp(b.Dup, b.Mult); fe.Exec(b.Lit, "square", b.def)
-	fe.Exec(b.New, b.Here)
-	fe.Exec(b.Lit, b.Dup, b.Comp, b.Lit, b.Mult, b.Comp, b.Lit, "square", b.Reg)
+	fe.Push(fe.Code(b.Dup, b.Mult))
+	fe.Exec(b.Lit, "square", b.Reg)
 	sq := fe.Pop()
-	//seven := fe.Const("seven", 7)
-	//fe.Exec(b.Lit, 7, b.Lit, "seven", b.const)
-	fe.Exec(b.New, b.Here)
-	fe.Exec(b.Lit, b.Lit, b.Comp, b.Lit, 7, b.Comp, b.Lit, "seven", b.Reg)
+	fe.Push(fe.Code(b.Lit, 7))
+	fe.Exec(b.Lit, "seven", b.Reg)
 	seven := fe.Pop()
 	fe.Exec(b.Lit, 3, seven, sq, b.Add)
 	t.AssertEqual(fe.Pop(), 52)
+	fe.Push(fe.Code(b.Lit, fe.NewVar()))
+	fe.Exec(b.Lit, "myvar", b.Reg)
+	myvar := fe.Pop()
+	fe.Exec(b.Lit, 5, myvar, b.Put)
+	fe.Exec(seven, myvar, b.Get, b.Mult)
+	t.AssertEqual(fe.Pop(), 35)
 }