diff --git a/include/fh_error.h b/include/fh_error.h
index 755fc6f..0350295 100644
--- a/include/fh_error.h
+++ b/include/fh_error.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ enum fh_error {
   FH_ERR_ILLEGAL_FETCH,
   FH_ERR_ILLEGAL_STORE,
   FH_ERR_DIV_BY_ZERO,
+  FH_ERR_SYNTAX,
   FH_ERR_MAX,
 };
 
diff --git a/include/fh_runtime.h b/include/fh_runtime.h
index ab5ee6a..28c5f2d 100644
--- a/include/fh_runtime.h
+++ b/include/fh_runtime.h
@@ -82,15 +82,9 @@ enum fh_state {
 /** Forth runtime minor state */
 enum fh_substate {
   FH_SUBSTATE_NONE = 0,
-  FH_SUBSTATE_COLON_NAME,
-  FH_SUBSTATE_S_QUOTE,
-  FH_SUBSTATE_DOT_QUOTE,
   FH_SUBSTATE_PAREN_COMMENT,
   FH_SUBSTATE_LINE_COMMENT,
   FH_SUBSTATE_EXIT,
-  FH_SUBSTATE_SEE_NAME,
-  FH_SUBSTATE_POSTPONE_NAME,
-  FH_SUBSTATE_CHAR,
   FH_SUBSTATE_MAX,
 };
 
@@ -174,6 +168,22 @@ void fh_setsubstate(struct fh_thread_s *fh, enum fh_substate substate);
 
 enum fh_error w_user_word(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w);
 
+enum fh_error fh_input_read_quotedstring(struct fh_thread_s *fh, bool escaped, char *outbuf, size_t capacity, size_t *out_len);
+enum fh_error fh_input_read_word(struct fh_thread_s *fh, char **out, size_t *len);
+void fh_input_consume_spaces(struct fh_thread_s *fh);
+
+enum fh_error fh_postpone_word(
+    struct fh_thread_s *fh,
+    const char *name,
+    size_t wordlen
+);
+
+enum fh_error fh_see_word(
+    struct fh_thread_s *fh,
+    const char *name,
+    size_t wordlen
+);
+
 /* if the return address is this, we should drop back to interactive mode */
 
 // SFR and magic addresses are "negative"
diff --git a/src/fh_builtins.c b/src/fh_builtins.c
index bf7bcaf..0b13b95 100644
--- a/src/fh_builtins.c
+++ b/src/fh_builtins.c
@@ -362,7 +362,13 @@ static enum fh_error w_colon(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
   enum fh_error rv;
   ENSURE_STATE(FH_STATE_INTERPRET);
 
-  fh_setstate(fh, FH_STATE_COMPILE, FH_SUBSTATE_COLON_NAME);
+  char *wordname = NULL;
+  size_t namelen = 0;
+  fh_input_consume_spaces(fh);
+  TRY(fh_input_read_word(fh, &wordname, &namelen));
+  LOG("Name: %.*s", namelen, wordname);
+
+  fh_setstate(fh, FH_STATE_COMPILE, 0);
 
   uint32_t ptr;
   TRY(fh_heap_reserve(fh, DICTWORD_SIZE, &ptr));
@@ -371,6 +377,9 @@ static enum fh_error w_colon(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
   new_word->previous = fh->dict_last;
   new_word->param = fh->here;
   new_word->handler = w_user_word;
+  strncpy(new_word->name, wordname, namelen);
+  new_word->name[namelen] = 0;
+
   fh->dict_last = ptr;
 
   return FH_OK;
@@ -379,9 +388,15 @@ static enum fh_error w_colon(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
 static enum fh_error w_postpone(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
 {
   (void) w;
+  enum fh_error rv;
   ENSURE_STATE(FH_STATE_COMPILE);
 
-  fh_setsubstate(fh, FH_SUBSTATE_POSTPONE_NAME);
+  char *wordname;
+  size_t namelen = 0;
+  fh_input_consume_spaces(fh);
+  TRY(fh_input_read_word(fh, &wordname, &namelen));
+  TRY(fh_postpone_word(fh, wordname, namelen));
+
   return FH_OK;
 }
 
@@ -770,16 +785,43 @@ static enum fh_error w_exit(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
 static enum fh_error w_s_quote(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
 {
   (void) w;
-  fh_setsubstate(fh, FH_SUBSTATE_S_QUOTE);
+  enum fh_error rv;
+  size_t len;
+  uint32_t addr = fh->here + (fh->state == FH_STATE_INTERPRET ? 0 : INSTR_SIZE);
+
+  /* read the string straight into HEAP */
+
+  fh_input_consume_spaces(fh);
+  char *start = (char *) &fh->heap[addr];
+  TRY(fh_input_read_quotedstring(fh, w->param == 1, start, HEAP_END - addr, &len));
+  fh->here = WORDALIGNED(addr + len);
+
+  struct fh_instruction_s instr;
+  if (fh->state == FH_STATE_INTERPRET) {
+    LOG("Interpret a string alloc: \"%.*s\"", len, start);
+    TRY(ds_push(fh, addr));
+    TRY(ds_push(fh, len));
+  } else {
+    LOG("Compile a string: \"%.*s\"", len, start);
+    instr_init(&instr, FH_INSTR_ALLOCSTR, len);
+    fh_heap_write(fh, addr - INSTR_SIZE, &instr, INSTR_SIZE);
+  }
+
   return FH_OK;
 }
 
-//static enum fh_error w_char(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
-//{
-//  (void) w;
-//  fh_setsubstate(fh, FH_SUBSTATE_CHAR);
-//  return FH_OK;
-//}
+static enum fh_error w_char(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
+{
+  (void) w;
+  enum fh_error rv;
+
+  char *wordname = NULL;
+  size_t namelen = 0;
+  fh_input_consume_spaces(fh);
+  TRY(fh_input_read_word(fh, &wordname, &namelen));
+  TRY(ds_push(fh, (char) *wordname));
+  return FH_OK;
+}
 
 static enum fh_error w_error_word0(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
 {
@@ -792,7 +834,26 @@ static enum fh_error w_error_word0(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_
 static enum fh_error w_dot_quote(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
 {
   (void) w;
-  fh_setsubstate(fh, FH_SUBSTATE_DOT_QUOTE);
+  enum fh_error rv;
+  size_t len;
+  uint32_t addr = fh->here + (fh->state == FH_STATE_INTERPRET ? 0 : INSTR_SIZE);
+
+  /* read the string straight into HEAP, but don't advance the heap pointer, so the string is immediately discarded again */
+
+  fh_input_consume_spaces(fh);
+  char *start = (char *) &fh->heap[addr];
+  TRY(fh_input_read_quotedstring(fh, w->param == 1, start, HEAP_END - addr, &len));
+
+  struct fh_instruction_s instr;
+  if (fh->state == FH_STATE_INTERPRET) {
+    FHPRINT("%.*s", (int) len, start);
+  } else {
+    LOG("Compile a string: \"%.*s\"", len, start);
+    instr_init(&instr, FH_INSTR_TYPESTR, len);
+    fh_heap_write(fh, addr - INSTR_SIZE, &instr, INSTR_SIZE);
+    fh->here = WORDALIGNED(addr + len);
+  }
+
   return FH_OK;
 }
 
@@ -983,7 +1044,11 @@ static enum fh_error w_emit(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
 static enum fh_error w_see(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
 {
   enum fh_error rv;
-  fh_setsubstate(fh, FH_SUBSTATE_SEE_NAME);
+  char *wordname;
+  size_t namelen = 0;
+  fh_input_consume_spaces(fh);
+  TRY(fh_input_read_word(fh, &wordname, &namelen));
+  TRY(fh_see_word(fh, wordname, namelen));
   return FH_OK;
 }
 
@@ -1147,11 +1212,13 @@ enum fh_error register_builtin_words(struct fh_thread_s *fh)
   const struct name_and_handler builtins[] = {
       {"",          w_error_word0,     1, 0},
       /* Weird meta stuff */
-      {"immediate", w_immediate,       1, 0},
+      {"immediate", w_immediate,       0, 0},
       {"postpone",  w_postpone,        1, 0},
       {"[",         w_leftbracket,     1, 0},
       {"]",         w_rightbracket,    1, 0},
       {"literal",   w_literal,         1, 0},
+      {"char",      w_char,            0, 0},
+      {"[char]",    w_char,            1, 0},
       /* Runtime stats */
       {"depth",     w_depth,           0, 0},
       {"unused",    w_unused,          0, 0},
@@ -1161,7 +1228,9 @@ enum fh_error register_builtin_words(struct fh_thread_s *fh)
       {"bye",       w_bye,             0, 0},
       /* Strings & Chars */
       {"s\"",       w_s_quote,         1, 0},
+      {"s\\\"",     w_s_quote,         1, 1}, // escaped
       {".\"",       w_dot_quote,       1, 0},
+      {".\\\"",     w_dot_quote,       1, 1}, // escaped, this is non-standard
 //      {"char",      w_char,            1, 0},
       /* Pointers */
       {"@",         w_fetch,           0, 0},
diff --git a/src/fh_error.c b/src/fh_error.c
index bf065c7..d501a31 100644
--- a/src/fh_error.c
+++ b/src/fh_error.c
@@ -14,11 +14,12 @@ static const char *errornames[FH_ERR_MAX] = {
     [FH_ERR_COMPILE_FULL] = "COMPILE_FULL",
     [FH_ERR_NAME_TOO_LONG] = "NAME_TOO_LONG",
     [FH_ERR_INVALID_STATE] = "INVALID_STATE",
-    [FH_ERR_INTERNAL] = "INTERNAL",
+    [FH_ERR_INTERNAL] = "INTERNAL_ERROR",
     [FH_ERR_UNKNOWN_WORD] = "UNKNOWN_WORD",
     [FH_ERR_ILLEGAL_FETCH] = "ILLEGAL_FETCH",
     [FH_ERR_ILLEGAL_STORE] = "ILLEGAL_STORE",
     [FH_ERR_DIV_BY_ZERO] = "DIV_BY_ZERO",
+    [FH_ERR_SYNTAX] = "SYNTAX_ERROR",
 };
 
 /** Get error name from code, returns Unknown if not defined */
diff --git a/src/fh_runtime.c b/src/fh_runtime.c
index 31a9237..f9f8245 100644
--- a/src/fh_runtime.c
+++ b/src/fh_runtime.c
@@ -23,17 +23,127 @@ static const char *statenames[FH_STATE_MAX] = {
 /** Sub-state names */
 static const char *substatenames[FH_SUBSTATE_MAX] = {
     [FH_SUBSTATE_NONE] = "NONE",
-    [FH_SUBSTATE_COLON_NAME] = "COLON_NAME",
-    [FH_SUBSTATE_S_QUOTE] = "S_QUOTE",
-    [FH_SUBSTATE_DOT_QUOTE] = "DOT_QUOTE",
     [FH_SUBSTATE_PAREN_COMMENT] = "PAREN_COMMENT",
     [FH_SUBSTATE_LINE_COMMENT] = "LINE_COMMENT",
     [FH_SUBSTATE_EXIT] = "EXIT",
-    [FH_SUBSTATE_SEE_NAME] = "SEE_NAME",
-    [FH_SUBSTATE_POSTPONE_NAME] = "POSTPONE_NAME",
-    [FH_SUBSTATE_CHAR] = "CHAR",
 };
 
+void fh_input_consume_spaces(struct fh_thread_s *fh) {
+  char *rp = (char *) &fh->heap[INPUTBUF_ADDR + fh->inputptr];
+  while (isspace(*rp)) {
+    rp++;
+    fh->inputptr++;
+  }
+}
+
+enum fh_error fh_input_read_word(struct fh_thread_s *fh, char **out, size_t *len) {
+  char *rp = (char *) &fh->heap[INPUTBUF_ADDR + fh->inputptr];
+  char *start = rp;
+  while (1) {
+    char c = *rp;
+    if (isspace(c) || c == 0) {
+      if (rp == start) {
+        LOGE("Expected a word!");
+        return FH_ERR_SYNTAX;
+      }
+      *out = start;
+      *len = rp - start;
+      return FH_OK;
+    }
+    rp++;
+    fh->inputptr++;
+  }
+}
+
+enum fh_error fh_input_read_quotedstring(struct fh_thread_s *fh, bool escaped, char *outbuf, size_t capacity, size_t *out_len) {
+  char *rp = (char *) &fh->heap[INPUTBUF_ADDR + fh->inputptr];
+  bool next_escaped = false;
+  size_t remains = capacity;
+  size_t len = 0;
+  int hexdigits = 0;
+  uint32_t hex = 0;
+  while (len < capacity) {
+    char c = *rp;
+    if (c == 0) {
+      LOGE("Unterminated quoted string!");
+      return FH_ERR_SYNTAX;
+    }
+
+    if (hexdigits) {
+      hex <<= 4;
+      if (isdigit(c)) {
+        hex |= c - '0';
+      } else if (c>='a' && c<='f') {
+        hex |= c - 'a';
+      } else if (c>='A' && c<='F') {
+        hex |= c - 'A';
+      } else {
+        LOGE("Bad hex escape");
+        return FH_ERR_SYNTAX;
+      }
+      hexdigits--;
+      if (hexdigits == 0) {
+        c = (char) hex;
+        goto append;
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (!escaped || !next_escaped) {
+      if (c == '\"') {
+        *outbuf = 0;
+        *out_len = len;
+        // advance past the quote
+        fh->inputptr++;
+        return FH_OK;
+      }
+
+      if (c == '\\') {
+        next_escaped = true;
+        goto skip;
+      }
+    } else {
+      next_escaped = false;
+      switch (c) {
+        case 'a': c = 7; break;
+        case 'b': c = 8; break;
+        case 'e': c = 27; break;
+        case 'f': c = 12; break;
+        case 'l': c = 10; break;
+        case 'm':
+        case 'n':
+          if (remains < 2) goto full;
+          *outbuf++ = '\r';
+          *outbuf++ = '\n';
+          remains -= 2;
+          len += 2;
+          goto skip;
+        case 'q': c = '"'; break;
+        case 'r': c = '\r'; break;
+        case 't': c = '\t'; break;
+        case 'v': c = '\v'; break;
+        case 'z': c = 0; break; // XXX this will cause problems!
+        case 'x':
+          hex = 0;
+          hexdigits = 2;
+          goto skip;
+        default:;
+          // just append normally
+      }
+    }
+
+  append:
+    *outbuf++ = c;
+    len++;
+  skip:
+    rp++;
+    fh->inputptr++;
+  }
+
+  full:
+  LOGE("String too long!");
+  return FH_ERR_SYNTAX;
+}
+
 /** Add a word to the dictionary. */
 enum fh_error fh_add_word(const struct fh_word_s *w, struct fh_thread_s *fh)
 {
@@ -219,46 +329,6 @@ enum fh_error fh_init(struct fh_thread_s *fh)
   return FH_OK;
 }
 
-/** Process a quoted string read from input */
-static enum fh_error fh_handle_quoted_string(
-    struct fh_thread_s *fh,
-    const char *start,
-    size_t len
-)
-{
-  enum fh_error rv;
-  uint32_t addr = 0;
-  struct fh_instruction_s instr;
-
-  if (fh->state == FH_STATE_INTERPRET) {
-    switch (fh->substate) {
-      case FH_SUBSTATE_S_QUOTE:
-        addr = fh->here;
-        TRY(fh_heap_put(fh, start, len));
-        TRY(ds_push(fh, addr));
-        TRY(ds_push(fh, len));
-        break;
-      case FH_SUBSTATE_DOT_QUOTE:
-        FHPRINT("%.*s", (int) len, start);
-        break;
-
-      default:
-        LOGE("Bad substate in interpret mode: %s", substatenames[fh->substate]);
-    }
-  } else {
-    LOG("Compile a string");
-    /* compile */
-    if (fh->substate == FH_SUBSTATE_S_QUOTE) {
-      instr_init(&instr, FH_INSTR_ALLOCSTR, len);
-    } else {
-      instr_init(&instr, FH_INSTR_TYPESTR, len);
-    }
-    TRY(fh_heap_put(fh, &instr, INSTR_SIZE));
-    TRY(fh_heap_put(fh, start, len));
-  }
-  return FH_OK;
-}
-
 enum fh_error fh_handle_word(struct fh_thread_s *fh, uint32_t addr)
 {
   struct fh_instruction_s instr;
@@ -419,7 +489,7 @@ static void show_word(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
 }
 
 /** Decompile a word */
-static enum fh_error fh_see_word(
+enum fh_error fh_see_word(
     struct fh_thread_s *fh,
     const char *name,
     const size_t wordlen
@@ -434,7 +504,7 @@ static enum fh_error fh_see_word(
 }
 
 /** Postpone a word */
-static enum fh_error fh_postpone_word(
+enum fh_error fh_postpone_word(
     struct fh_thread_s *fh,
     const char *name,
     const size_t wordlen
@@ -496,9 +566,6 @@ enum fh_error fh_process_line(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const char *linebuf, size_
     size_t length;
     switch (fh->substate) {
       case FH_SUBSTATE_NONE:
-      case FH_SUBSTATE_COLON_NAME:
-      case FH_SUBSTATE_SEE_NAME:
-      case FH_SUBSTATE_POSTPONE_NAME:
         /* try to read a word */
         end = strchr(rp, ' ');
         if (end) {
@@ -507,47 +574,13 @@ enum fh_error fh_process_line(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const char *linebuf, size_
           length = strlen(rp);
         }
 
-        switch (fh->substate) {
-          case FH_SUBSTATE_NONE:
-            /* eval a word */
-            LOG("Handle \"%.*s\"", (int) length, rp);
-            TRY(fh_handle_ascii_word(fh, rp, length));
-            break;
-          case FH_SUBSTATE_COLON_NAME:
-            /* new word's name is found */
-            LOG("New word name = \"%.*s\"", (int) length, rp);
-            strncpy(fh_word_at(fh, fh->dict_last)->name, rp, length);
-            fh_setsubstate(fh, FH_SUBSTATE_NONE);
-            break;
-          case FH_SUBSTATE_SEE_NAME:
-            TRY(fh_see_word(fh, rp, length));
-            fh_setsubstate(fh, FH_SUBSTATE_NONE);
-            break;
-          case FH_SUBSTATE_POSTPONE_NAME:
-            TRY(fh_postpone_word(fh, rp, length));
-            fh_setsubstate(fh, FH_SUBSTATE_NONE);
-            break;
-        }
+        ReadPos += length + 1;
 
-        if (end) {
-          ReadPos += length + 1;
-        } else {
-          goto done;
-        }
-        break;
+        /* eval a word */
+        LOG("Handle \"%.*s\"", (int) length, rp);
+        TRY(fh_handle_ascii_word(fh, rp, length));
 
-      case FH_SUBSTATE_S_QUOTE:
-      case FH_SUBSTATE_DOT_QUOTE:
-        end = strchr(rp, '"');
-        if (end) {
-          length = end - rp;
-          LOG("Quoted string: \"%.*s\"", (int) length, rp);
-          TRY(fh_handle_quoted_string(fh, rp, length));
-          fh_setsubstate(fh, FH_SUBSTATE_NONE);
-          ReadPos += length + 1;
-        } else {
-          /* no end. this is weird. */
-          LOGE("Unterminated quoted string!");
+        if (!end) {
           goto done;
         }
         break;
diff --git a/str.forth b/str.forth
index c1e3f2c..3f7e53c 100644
--- a/str.forth
+++ b/str.forth
@@ -1,2 +1,9 @@
 ." show this string"
 S" save this string" TYPE
+
+: aa ." show this string" ;
+: bb S" show this string" TYPE ;
+
+aa
+
+bb