diff --git a/examples/prompt.js b/examples/prompt.js
index 7372296..ef73ecb 100644
--- a/examples/prompt.js
+++ b/examples/prompt.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { DefaultMap } from "../lib/util/defaultmap.js";
 import { pretty } from '../lib/util/pretty.js';
 import { isFunction } from '../structures/types.js';
 import { ModuleStd } from '../lib/stdlib.js';
-import { Double, GenericType, Int, SymbolT, Type } from "../primitives/types.js";
+import { Double, GenericType, Int, UUID, Type } from "../primitives/types.js";
 import { eqType } from '../primitives/type.js';
 import { Top } from "../primitives/types.js";
 import { assignFn, makeGeneric, onlyOccurring } from '../lib/generics/generics.js';
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ async function createInstance(t) {
     });
     return n;
   }
-  else if (eqType(t)(SymbolT)) {
+  else if (eqType(t)(UUID)) {
     console.log("Note: you are creating a new Symbol. Even if the description matches that of another symbol (e.g., \"Int\"), a new Symbol will be created that is unique and only equal to itself.");
     const symbolDescr = await input({message: "enter symbol description:"});
     return symbolDescr + '__' + genUUID(16);
diff --git a/lib/compare/dynamic.types.js b/lib/compare/dynamic.types.js
index c045093..157ef2d 100644
--- a/lib/compare/dynamic.types.js
+++ b/lib/compare/dynamic.types.js
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@ import { compareDynamic, makeCompareFn } from "./dynamic.js";
 const mkType = getDefaultTypeParser();
 
 export const ModuleCompareDynamic = [
-  {i: makeCompareFn , t: mkType("∀a: Type -> a -> a -> Int")},
+  {i: makeCompareFn , t: mkType("Type -> a -> a -> Int")},
   {i: compareDynamic, t: mkType("Dynamic -> Dynamic -> Int")},
 ];
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/compare/primitives.types.js b/lib/compare/primitives.types.js
index c7a17fc..77a92cd 100644
--- a/lib/compare/primitives.types.js
+++ b/lib/compare/primitives.types.js
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@ export const ModuleComparePrimitives = [
   {i: compareNumbers, t: mkType("Double -> Double -> Int")},
   {i: compareBools  , t: mkType("Bool -> Bool -> Int")},
   {i: compareUnits  , t: mkType("Unit -> Unit -> Int")},
-  {i: compareSymbols, t: mkType("SymbolT -> SymbolT -> Int")},
+  {i: compareSymbols, t: mkType("UUID -> UUID -> Int")},
 ];
diff --git a/lib/compare/structures.types.js b/lib/compare/structures.types.js
index c5729d0..199ae27 100644
--- a/lib/compare/structures.types.js
+++ b/lib/compare/structures.types.js
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ import { compareDicts, compareLists, compareProducts, compareSets, compareSums }
 const mkType = getDefaultTypeParser();
 
 export const ModuleCompareStructures = [
-  {i: compareLists, t: mkType("∀a: (a -> a -> Int) -> [a] -> [a] -> Int")},
+  {i: compareLists, t: mkType("(a -> a -> Int) -> [a] -> [a] -> Int")},
 
-  {i: compareProducts, t: mkType("∀a,b: (a -> a -> Int) -> (b -> b -> Int) -> (a*b) -> (a*b) -> Int")},
+  {i: compareProducts, t: mkType("(a -> a -> Int) -> (b -> b -> Int) -> (a*b) -> (a*b) -> Int")},
 
-  {i: compareSums, t: mkType("∀a,b: (a -> a -> Int) -> (b -> b -> Int) -> (a+b) -> (a+b) -> Int")},
+  {i: compareSums, t: mkType("(a -> a -> Int) -> (b -> b -> Int) -> (a+b) -> (a+b) -> Int")},
 
-  {i: compareSets, t: mkType("∀a: (a -> a -> Int) -> {a} -> {a} -> Int")},
+  {i: compareSets, t: mkType("(a -> a -> Int) -> {a} -> {a} -> Int")},
 
-  {i: compareDicts, t: mkType("∀a,b: (a -> a -> Int) -> (b -> b-> Int) -> (a => b) -> (a => b) -> Int")}
+  {i: compareDicts, t: mkType("(a -> a -> Int) -> (b -> b-> Int) -> (a => b) -> (a => b) -> Int")}
 ];
diff --git a/lib/generics/generics.js b/lib/generics/generics.js
index 37d3fbb..e87cf31 100644
--- a/lib/generics/generics.js
+++ b/lib/generics/generics.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { isTypeVar, TYPE_VARS } from "../primitives/typevars.js";
 
 // helper for creating generic types
 //   for instance, the type:
-//     ∀a: a -> a -> Bool
+//     a -> a -> Bool
 //   is created by
 //     makeGeneric(a => fnType(() => a)(() => fnType(() => a)(() => Bool)))
 export const makeGeneric = callback => {
diff --git a/lib/meta/type_constructor.types.js b/lib/meta/type_constructor.types.js
index ff13e94..c16b03f 100644
--- a/lib/meta/type_constructor.types.js
+++ b/lib/meta/type_constructor.types.js
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ const mkType = getDefaultTypeParser();
 
 export const ModuleTypeConstructor = [
   // Problem: number of parameters of returned function depends on the 'Int' parameter...
-  // {i: makeTypeConstructor, t: mkType("SymbolT -> Int -> ??")}
+  // {i: makeTypeConstructor, t: mkType("UUID -> Int -> ??")}
 ];
diff --git a/lib/parser/type_parser.js b/lib/parser/type_parser.js
index 9378f1f..8dab112 100644
--- a/lib/parser/type_parser.js
+++ b/lib/parser/type_parser.js
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ import { TYPE_VARS } from "../primitives/typevars.js";
 import { dictType, fnType, lsType, prodType, sumType } from "../structures/type_constructors.js";
 import { setType } from "../structures/type_constructors.js";
 
+// A very stupid little parser, that can only parse:
+//   - primitives               => simply maps onto types.
+//   - things between brackets  => calls a type constructor that takes one parameter on whatever is between the brackets.
+//   - binary (infix) operators => calls a type constructor that takes two parameters on the LHS and RHS.
+
 export const makeTypeParser = ({
   // parser can be extended:
   extraPrimitives=[],
@@ -49,13 +54,6 @@ export const makeTypeParser = ({
     ['⇒', dictType],
     ['=>', dictType],
   
-    // only used for type variables (e.g., ∀a,b,c:)
-    [',', fnX => fnY => {
-      const x = fnX();
-      const y = fnY();
-      return Array.isArray(x) ? x.concat(y) : [x].concat(y)
-    }],
-
     ...extraInfixOperators,
   ]);
   
diff --git a/lib/primitives/dynamic.js b/lib/primitives/dynamic.js
index 6f01125..a7edeb6 100644
--- a/lib/primitives/dynamic.js
+++ b/lib/primitives/dynamic.js
@@ -1,3 +1,17 @@
+import { assignFn } from "../generics/generics.js";
+
 export const newDynamic = i => t => ({i, t});
 export const getInst = lnk => lnk.i;
 export const getType = lnk => lnk.t;
+
+export const apply = input => fun => {
+  const inputType = getType(input)
+  const funType = getType(fun);
+  const outputType = assignFn(funType, inputType);
+
+  const inputValue = getInst(input);
+  const funValue = getInst(fun);
+  const outputValue = funValue(inputValue);
+
+  return newDynamic(outputValue, outputType);
+};
diff --git a/lib/primitives/dynamic.types.js b/lib/primitives/dynamic.types.js
index 1cf645a..c36af30 100644
--- a/lib/primitives/dynamic.types.js
+++ b/lib/primitives/dynamic.types.js
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 import { getDefaultTypeParser } from "../parser/type_parser.js";
-import { getInst, getType, newDynamic } from "./dynamic.js";
+import { apply, getInst, getType, newDynamic } from "./dynamic.js";
 
 const mkType = getDefaultTypeParser();
 
 export const ModuleDynamic = [
-  { i: newDynamic, t: mkType("∀a: a -> Type -> Dynamic")},
+  { i: newDynamic, t: mkType("a -> Type -> Dynamic")},
 
   // allows us to (unsafely) cast the result to the specific type...
   // (not sure if this is the right way to go)
-  { i: getInst, t: mkType("∀a: Dynamic -> a") },
+  { i: getInst, t: mkType("Dynamic -> a") },
 
   { i: getType, t: mkType("Dynamic -> Type") },
+
+  { i: apply, t: mkType("Dynamic -> Dynamic -> Dynamic") },
 ];
diff --git a/lib/primitives/symbol.types.js b/lib/primitives/symbol.types.js
index 04f74a3..31453c2 100644
--- a/lib/primitives/symbol.types.js
+++ b/lib/primitives/symbol.types.js
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@ import { eqSymbol, getHumanReadableName } from "./symbol.js";
 const mkType = getDefaultTypeParser();
 
 export const ModuleSymbol = [
-  { i: getHumanReadableName, t: mkType("SymbolT -> String")},
-  { i: eqSymbol, t: mkType("SymbolT -> SymbolT -> Bool")},
+  { i: getHumanReadableName, t: mkType("UUID -> String")},
+  { i: eqSymbol, t: mkType("UUID -> UUID -> Bool")},
 ];
diff --git a/lib/primitives/type.types.js b/lib/primitives/type.types.js
index 52992a0..a840c79 100644
--- a/lib/primitives/type.types.js
+++ b/lib/primitives/type.types.js
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@ const mkType = getDefaultTypeParser();
 // each 'typed object' is implicitly an instance of TypeLink (defined below)
 export const ModuleType = [
   {i: eqType   , t: mkType("Type -> Type -> Bool")},
-  {i: getSymbol, t: mkType("Type -> SymbolT")},
+  {i: getSymbol, t: mkType("Type -> UUID")},
   {i: getParams, t: mkType("Type -> [Type -> Type]")},
 ];
diff --git a/lib/structures/dict.types.js b/lib/structures/dict.types.js
index 3b2e7bc..38e586e 100644
--- a/lib/structures/dict.types.js
+++ b/lib/structures/dict.types.js
@@ -9,12 +9,12 @@ const mkType = makeTypeParser({
 });
 
 export const ModuleDict = [
-  { i: emptyDict   , t: mkType("∀a,b: (a -> a -> Int) -> (a => b)") },
-  { i: has         , t: mkType("∀a,b: (a => b) -> a -> Bool")},
-  { i: set         , t: mkType("∀a,b: (a => b) -> a -> b -> (a => b)")},
-  { i: remove      , t: mkType("∀a,b: (a => b) -> a -> (a => b)")},
-  { i: length      , t: mkType("∀a,b: (a => b) -> Int")},
-  { i: first       , t: mkType("∀a,b: (a => b) -> (a |=>| b)")},
-  { i: last        , t: mkType("∀a,b: (a => b) -> (a |=>| b)")},
-  { i: read        , t: mkType("∀a,b: (a |=>| b) -> (Unit + ((a*b) * (a |=>| b)))")},
+  { i: emptyDict   , t: mkType("(a -> a -> Int) -> (a => b)") },
+  { i: has         , t: mkType("(a => b) -> a -> Bool")},
+  { i: set         , t: mkType("(a => b) -> a -> b -> (a => b)")},
+  { i: remove      , t: mkType("(a => b) -> a -> (a => b)")},
+  { i: length      , t: mkType("(a => b) -> Int")},
+  { i: first       , t: mkType("(a => b) -> (a |=>| b)")},
+  { i: last        , t: mkType("(a => b) -> (a |=>| b)")},
+  { i: read        , t: mkType("(a |=>| b) -> (Unit + ((a*b) * (a |=>| b)))")},
 ];
diff --git a/lib/structures/list.types.js b/lib/structures/list.types.js
index b3fa8f3..8801276 100644
--- a/lib/structures/list.types.js
+++ b/lib/structures/list.types.js
@@ -4,12 +4,12 @@ import { emptyList, fold, get, length, map, pop, push, put } from "./list.js";
 const mkType = getDefaultTypeParser();
 
 export const ModuleList = [
-  { i: emptyList, t: mkType("∀a: [a]")},
-  { i: get      , t: mkType("∀a: [a] -> Int -> a")},
-  { i: put      , t: mkType("∀a: [a] -> Int -> a -> [a]")},
-  { i: push     , t: mkType("∀a: [a] -> a -> [a]")},
-  { i: pop      , t: mkType("∀a: [a] -> a")},
-  { i: map      , t: mkType("∀a: [a] -> (a -> b) -> [b]")},
-  { i: length   , t: mkType("∀a: [a] -> Int")},
-  { i: fold     , t: mkType("∀a: [a] -> (b -> a -> b) -> b -> b")},
+  { i: emptyList, t: mkType("[a]")},
+  { i: get      , t: mkType("[a] -> Int -> a")},
+  { i: put      , t: mkType("[a] -> Int -> a -> [a]")},
+  { i: push     , t: mkType("[a] -> a -> [a]")},
+  { i: pop      , t: mkType("[a] -> a")},
+  { i: map      , t: mkType("[a] -> (a -> b) -> [b]")},
+  { i: length   , t: mkType("[a] -> Int")},
+  { i: fold     , t: mkType("[a] -> (b -> a -> b) -> b -> b")},
 ];
diff --git a/lib/structures/product.types.js b/lib/structures/product.types.js
index 47b3c13..3e44a99 100644
--- a/lib/structures/product.types.js
+++ b/lib/structures/product.types.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { newProduct, getLeft, getRight } from "./product.js";
 const mkType = getDefaultTypeParser();
 
 export const ModuleProduct = [
-  { i: newProduct, t: mkType("∀a,b: a -> b -> (a * b)") },
-  { i: getLeft   , t: mkType("∀a,b: (a * b) -> a"     ) },
-  { i: getRight  , t: mkType("∀a,b: (a * b) -> b"     ) },
+  { i: newProduct, t: mkType("a -> b -> (a * b)") },
+  { i: getLeft   , t: mkType("(a * b) -> a"     ) },
+  { i: getRight  , t: mkType("(a * b) -> b"     ) },
 ];
diff --git a/lib/structures/set.types.js b/lib/structures/set.types.js
index 32fe7af..2f50a65 100644
--- a/lib/structures/set.types.js
+++ b/lib/structures/set.types.js
@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ const mkType = makeTypeParser({
 });
 
 export const ModuleSet = [
-  { i: emptySet    , t: mkType("∀a: (a -> a -> Int) -> {a}") },
-  { i: has         , t: mkType("∀a: {a} -> a -> Bool")},
-  { i: add         , t: mkType("∀a: {a} -> a -> {a}")},
-  { i: remove      , t: mkType("∀a: {a} -> a -> {a}")},
-  { i: length      , t: mkType("∀a: {a} -> Int")},
-  { i: fold        , t: mkType("∀a,b: {a} -> (b -> a -> b) -> b")},
-  { i: first       , t: mkType("∀a: {a} -> <a>")},
-  { i: last        , t: mkType("∀a: {a} -> <a>")},
-  { i: read        , t: mkType("∀a: <a> -> (Unit + (a * <a>))")},
+  { i: emptySet    , t: mkType("(a -> a -> Int) -> {a}") },
+  { i: has         , t: mkType("{a} -> a -> Bool")},
+  { i: add         , t: mkType("{a} -> a -> {a}")},
+  { i: remove      , t: mkType("{a} -> a -> {a}")},
+  { i: length      , t: mkType("{a} -> Int")},
+  { i: fold        , t: mkType("{a} -> (b -> a -> b) -> b")},
+  { i: first       , t: mkType("{a} -> <a>")},
+  { i: last        , t: mkType("{a} -> <a>")},
+  { i: read        , t: mkType("<a> -> (Unit + (a * <a>))")},
 ];
diff --git a/lib/structures/sum.types.js b/lib/structures/sum.types.js
index b9a8b20..38741e0 100644
--- a/lib/structures/sum.types.js
+++ b/lib/structures/sum.types.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { match, newLeft, newRight } from "./sum.js";
 const mkType = getDefaultTypeParser();
 
 export const ModuleSum = [
-  { i: newLeft     , t: mkType("∀a,b: a -> (a + b)") },
-  { i: newRight    , t: mkType("∀a,b: b -> (a + b)") },
-  { i: match       , t: mkType("∀a,b,c: (a + b) -> (a -> c) -> (b -> c) -> c") },
+  { i: newLeft     , t: mkType("a -> (a + b)") },
+  { i: newRight    , t: mkType("b -> (a + b)") },
+  { i: match       , t: mkType("(a + b) -> (a -> c) -> (b -> c) -> c") },
 ];