diff --git a/t/feed-01.err b/t/feed-01.err
index f5d6623..b8c4a56 100644
--- a/t/feed-01.err
+++ b/t/feed-01.err
@@ -1,6 +1,2 @@
-## the left brace opens a list explicitly and doesn't auto-forge a container list.
-## so the semicolon after it is a redundant one. `do {};` would work because the semicolon
-## terminates the auto-forged list of `do` and `{}`.
-{
-	printf "hello, world\n";
-}; ##ERROR: syntax error - unexpected semicolon
+## you can't have another colon before the method..
+(obj: :method) ##ERROR: syntax error - : disallowed
diff --git a/t/ret-01.hcl b/t/ret-01.hcl
index 82ed230..b526470 100644
--- a/t/ret-01.hcl
+++ b/t/ret-01.hcl
@@ -1,35 +1,35 @@
-(defun repeat(n f)
-	(while (> n 0)
-		(f)
-		(set n (- n 1))
-	)
-)
+defun repeat(n f) {
+	while (> n 0) {
+		f;
+		set n (- n 1);
+	};
+};
 
-(defun test-non-local-ret-1(k)
-	(repeat 10 (lambda()
-		(set k (+ k 2))
-		(if (= k 28) (return-from-home k))
-	))	
+defun test-non-local-ret-1(k) {
+	repeat 10 (fun() {
+		set k (+ k 2);
+		if (= k 28) { return-from-home k };
+	});
 
-	(return k)
-)
+	return k;
+};
 
-(set a (test-non-local-ret-1 20))
-(if (/= a 28) (printf "ERROR: a must be 28\n"))
-(printf "OK %d\n" a)
+set a (test-non-local-ret-1 20);
+if (/= a 28) { printf "ERROR: a must be 28\n" }
+else { (printf "OK %d\n" a) };
 
-(set a (test-non-local-ret-1 21))
-(if (/= a 41) (printf "ERROR: a must be 41\n"))
-(printf "OK %d\n" a)
+set a (test-non-local-ret-1 21);
+if (/= a 41) { printf "ERROR: a must be 41\n" }
+else { printf "OK %d\n" a };
 
 
-(defun ff() (return 999))
+defun ff() { return 999 };
 
 ## test a normal block return
-(set a (ff))
-(if (/= a 999) (printf "ERROR: a must be 999\n"))
-(printf "OK %d\n" a)
+set a (ff);
+if (/= a 999) { printf "ERROR: a must be 999\n" }
+else  { printf "OK %d\n" a };
 
 ## return from top-level
-(return 10)
-(printf "ERROR: this line must not be printed\n")
+return 10;
+printf "ERROR: this line must not be printed\n";
diff --git a/t/retvar-01.hcl b/t/retvar-01.hcl
index 2ba8c54..e60ef78 100644
--- a/t/retvar-01.hcl
+++ b/t/retvar-01.hcl
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
-((lambda ()
+
+((fun() {
 	## test return variables
 
 	| v1 v2 v3 i a b c d |
 
-	(set i 100)
+	set i 100;
 
-	(defun ff(a b ::: x y z)
-		(set x (+ a b i))
-		(set y (+ x x))
-		(set z (+ 999 i))
-		(set i (* i 10))
-	)
+	defun ff(a b ::: x y z) {
+		set x (+ a b i);
+		set y (+ x x);
+		set z (+ 999 i);
+		set i (* i 10);
+	};
 
 	(set-r v1 v2 v3 (ff 10 20))
 	(if (/= v1 130) (printf "ERROR: v1 must be 130\n"))
@@ -28,22 +29,21 @@
 
 
 	## test return variables in message sends
-	(defclass B
-		::: | X1 X2 |
+	defclass B ::: | X1 X2 | {
 
-		(set X1 999)
-		(set X2 888)
+		set X1 999;
+		set X2 888;
 
-		(defun ::: get ( ::: x y) 
+		defun ::: get ( ::: x y)  {
 			(set x X1) 
 			(set y X2)
-		)
+		};
 
-		(defun ::: get2 (inc ::: x y) 
+		defun ::: get2 (inc ::: x y)  {
 			(set x (+ X1 inc)) 
 			(set y (+ X2 inc))
-		)
-	)
+		};
+	};
 
 	(set-r a b (:B get))
 	(set-r c d (:B get2 -100))
@@ -53,5 +53,5 @@
 	(if (/= c 899) (printf "ERROR: c must be 899\n"))
 	(if (/= d 788) (printf "ERROR: d must be 788\n"))
 
-	(printf "OK a=%d b=%d c=%d d=%d\n" a b c d)
-))
+	printf "OK a=%d b=%d c=%d d=%d\n" a b c d;
+}));
diff --git a/t/va-01.hcl b/t/va-01.hcl
index c3fbbc9..298f20f 100644
--- a/t/va-01.hcl
+++ b/t/va-01.hcl
@@ -1,28 +1,28 @@
-(defun fn-y (t1 t2 va-ctx)
+defun fn-y (t1 t2 va-ctx) {
         | i |
-        (set i 0)
-        (while (< i (va-count va-ctx))
+        set i 0;
+        while (< i (va-count va-ctx)) {
                 (printf "fn-y=>Y-VA[%d]=>[%d]\n" i (va-get i va-ctx))
                 (set i (+ i 1))
-        )
-)
+        };
+};
 
-(defun x(a b ... ::: x y z)
+defun x(a b ... ::: x y z) {
         |i|
 
         (set x (va-count))
         (set y (* a b))
         (set z (+ a b))
 
-        (set i 0)
-        (while (< i (va-count))
+        set i 0;
+        while (< i (va-count)) {
                 (printf "VA[%d]=>[%d]\n" i (va-get i))
                 (set i (+ i 1))
-        )
-        (fn-y "hello" "world" (va-context))
+        };
+        fn-y "hello" "world" (va-context);
 
         (return)
-)
+};
 
 (set t (x 10 20 30))
 (if (/= t 1) (printf "ERROR: t is not 1\n")