diff --git a/src/c/nucl.c b/src/c/nucl.c
index b355d59c5..9d768fc43 100644
--- a/src/c/nucl.c
+++ b/src/c/nucl.c
@@ -107,19 +107,54 @@ void nucl_test (void)
 }
 
 
+/* -- Allocators ------------------------------------------------------------ */
+
+cl_object
+nucl_alloc_base_string(cl_index s)
+{
+  cl_object x = ecl_alloc_compact_object(t_base_string, s+1);
+  x->base_string.self = ECL_COMPACT_OBJECT_EXTRA(x);
+  x->base_string.self[s] = '\0';
+  x->base_string.elttype = ecl_aet_bc;
+  x->base_string.flags = 0; /* no fill pointer, not adjustable */
+  x->base_string.displaced = ECL_NIL;
+  x->base_string.dim = x->base_string.fillp = s;
+  return x;
+}
+
+cl_object
+nucl_alloc_symbol(cl_object name, cl_object value)
+{
+  cl_object x = ecl_alloc_object(t_symbol);
+  x->symbol.name = name;
+  x->symbol.cname = ECL_NIL;
+#ifdef ECL_THREADS
+  x->symbol.binding = ECL_MISSING_SPECIAL_BINDING;
+#endif
+  ECL_SET(x,value);
+  ECL_FMAKUNBOUND(x);
+  x->symbol.undef_entry = NULL; /* ecl_undefined_function_entry */
+  x->symbol.macfun = ECL_NIL;
+  x->symbol.sfdef = ECL_NIL;
+  x->symbol.plist = ECL_NIL;
+  x->symbol.hpack = ECL_NIL;
+  x->symbol.stype = ecl_stp_ordinary;
+#ifdef NUCL
+  /* Rethink finalization(!) */
+  ecl_set_finalizer_unprotected(x, ECL_T);
+#endif
+  return x;
+}
+
 /* -- Special variables ----------------------------------------------------- */
 #define DEFINE_SPECIAL(var,name,value)                                  \
   static cl_object var =                                                \
     ecl_cast_ptr(cl_object, &ecl_constexpr_symbol(ecl_stp_special, name, value))
 
-DEFINE_SPECIAL(nucl_ostrm, "*ISTRM*", ECL_NIL); /* standard input */
-DEFINE_SPECIAL(nucl_istrm, "*OSTRM*", ECL_NIL); /* standard output */
-DEFINE_SPECIAL(nucl_fp, "*FP*", ECL_NIL);  /* stack frame */
-DEFINE_SPECIAL(nucl_dt, "*DT*", ECL_NIL);  /* dictionary */
-DEFINE_SPECIAL(nucl_cmpp, "*cmpp*", ECL_NIL); /* compilep */
-
 
-/* -- Since now on we will often use the stack, so here are some operators -  */
+/* -- Stack manipulation ---------------------------------------------------  */
+
+DEFINE_SPECIAL(nucl_fp, "*FP*", ECL_NIL); /* stack frame */
 
 #define open_nucl_frame(name)                                           \
   const cl_env_ptr the_env = ecl_process_env();                         \
@@ -190,45 +225,6 @@ nucl_stack_clear(void)
   while(size--) ecl_stack_frame_pop(frame);
 }
 
-/* And constructors */
-
-cl_object
-nucl_alloc_base_string(cl_index s)
-{
-  cl_object x = ecl_alloc_compact_object(t_base_string, s+1);
-  x->base_string.self = ECL_COMPACT_OBJECT_EXTRA(x);
-  x->base_string.self[s] = '\0';
-  x->base_string.elttype = ecl_aet_bc;
-  x->base_string.flags = 0; /* no fill pointer, not adjustable */
-  x->base_string.displaced = ECL_NIL;
-  x->base_string.dim = x->base_string.fillp = s;
-  return x;
-}
-
-cl_object
-nucl_alloc_symbol(cl_object name, cl_object value)
-{
-  cl_object x = ecl_alloc_object(t_symbol);
-  x->symbol.name = name;
-  x->symbol.cname = ECL_NIL;
-#ifdef ECL_THREADS
-  x->symbol.binding = ECL_MISSING_SPECIAL_BINDING;
-#endif
-  ECL_SET(x,value);
-  ECL_FMAKUNBOUND(x);
-  x->symbol.undef_entry = NULL; /* ecl_undefined_function_entry */
-  x->symbol.macfun = ECL_NIL;
-  x->symbol.sfdef = ECL_NIL;
-  x->symbol.plist = ECL_NIL;
-  x->symbol.hpack = ECL_NIL;
-  x->symbol.stype = ecl_stp_ordinary;
-#ifdef NUCL
-  /* Rethink finalization(!) */
-  ecl_set_finalizer_unprotected(x, ECL_T);
-#endif
-  return x;
-}
-
 /* ( lisp* -- list ) */
 cl_object nucl_stack_to_list(void)
 {
@@ -315,6 +311,8 @@ cl_object nucl_stack_to_hexnum(void)
 /* -- Lali-ho I/O starts here ----------------------------------------------- */
 
 cl_object ecl_make_nucl_stream(FILE *f);
+DEFINE_SPECIAL(nucl_ostrm, "*ISTRM*", ECL_NIL); /* standard input */
+DEFINE_SPECIAL(nucl_istrm, "*OSTRM*", ECL_NIL); /* standard output */
 
 void
 init_nucl_io(void)
@@ -542,9 +540,12 @@ rparen_reader(int narg, cl_object strm, cl_object c)
 static cl_object
 symbol_reader(int narg, cl_object strm, cl_object c)
 {
+  cl_object string, symbol;
   default_reader(2, strm, c);
-  cl_object name = nucl_stack_to_string();
-  return nucl_alloc_symbol(name, OBJNULL);
+  nucl_stack_to_string();
+  string = nucl_stack_pop();
+  symbol = nucl_alloc_symbol(string, OBJNULL);
+  return nucl_stack_push(symbol);
 }
 
 static cl_object
@@ -685,7 +686,10 @@ nucl_accept(cl_object strm, cl_object delim)
 }
 
 
-/* -- Dictionary ------------------------------------------------------------ */
+/* -- F42 starts here ------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+DEFINE_SPECIAL(nucl_dt, "*DT*", ECL_NIL);  /* dictionary */
+DEFINE_SPECIAL(nucl_cmpp, "*CMPP*", ECL_NIL); /* compilep */
 
 static void
 init_nucl_dictionary(void)
@@ -743,24 +747,6 @@ nucl_search_dictionary(cl_object name)
   return ECL_UNBOUND;
 }
 
-static cl_object
-nucl_extend_dictionary(cl_object name, cl_object value)
-{
-  cl_env_ptr the_env = ecl_core.first_env;
-  cl_object entry = nucl_search_dictionary(name);
-  cl_object dict = ECL_SYM_VAL(the_env, nucl_dt);
-  if(entry != ECL_UNBOUND) {
-    /* Design decision: error, overwrite or shadow? Separate ops? A Flag? */
-    ECL_SETQ(the_env,entry,value);
-    return entry;
-  }
-  ecl_internal_error("sorry! allocate me.");
-  /* Allocate on a heap, because make_dict_entry would allocate on a stack. */
-  entry = nucl_alloc_symbol(name,value);
-  ecl_stack_push(dict, entry);
-  return entry;
-}
-
 static cl_object
 nucl_append_dictionary(cl_object symbol, cl_object value)
 {
@@ -771,14 +757,6 @@ nucl_append_dictionary(cl_object symbol, cl_object value)
   return symbol;
 }
 
-static cl_object
-word_reader(int narg, cl_object strm, cl_object c)
-{
-  default_reader(2, strm, c);
-  cl_object string = nucl_stack_to_string();
-  return nucl_search_dictionary(string);
-}
-
 cl_object nucl_eval_word(int narg, cl_object word) {
   cl_object value = word->symbol.value;
   cl_object strm = nucl_stdout();
@@ -796,6 +774,7 @@ cl_object nucl_eval_word(int narg, cl_object word) {
   default:
     _ecl_funcall2(value, word);
   }
+  return ECL_NIL;
 }
 
 cl_object nucl_word_def(int narg, cl_object op) {
@@ -919,9 +898,6 @@ void init_nucl_dictionary_entries()
   }
 }
 
-
-/* -- REPL ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
-
 cl_object nucl_read_command (cl_object istrm)
 {
   cl_object result = limited_reader(istrm, ECL_CODE_CHAR('\n'));
@@ -970,6 +946,9 @@ void nucl_repl (void)
   nucl_write_cstr(ostrm, "... bye\n");
 }
 
+
+/* -- Entry point ----------------------------------------------------------- */
+
 int main() {
   cl_env_ptr the_env = ecl_core.first_env;
   ecl_boot();