diff --git a/asm/forth-dictionary.s b/asm/forth-dictionary.s
index 9e460f4..6f2b935 100644
--- a/asm/forth-dictionary.s
+++ b/asm/forth-dictionary.s
@@ -4746,16 +4746,14 @@ eword
 
 ; ( c-addr u wid -- xt ) Search wordlist wid for word.
 hword     dWLSEARCH,"$WLSEARCH"
-          jsr   _popwr
+          jsr   _popwr            ; wid -> WR
           ldy   #$02
-          lda   [WR],y
-          sta   YR+2
-          dey
-          dey
-          lda   [WR],y
+          lda   [WR],y            ; LAST of wordlist at wid, high word
+          sta   YR+2              ; to YR
+          lda   [WR]              ; now low word
           sta   YR
-          jsr   _popxr
-          jsr   _popwr
+          jsr   _popxr            ; u -> XR
+          jsr   _popwr            ; c-addr -> WR
           jsr   _search_unsmudged
           PUSHNEXT
 eword
@@ -4767,14 +4765,14 @@ dword     SEARCH_WORDLIST,"SEARCH-WORDLIST"
 hword     SEARCH_WORDLIST,"SEARCH-WORDLIST"
 .endif
           ENTER
-          .dword dWLSEARCH
-          .dword DUP
-          .dword _IF
-          .dword notfound
-          .dword IMMEDQ
-          ONLIT 1
-          .dword LOR
-          .dword NEGATE
+          .dword dWLSEARCH        ; ( c-addr u wid -- 0 | xt )
+          .dword DUP              ; ( 0 | xt -- 0 0 | xt  xt )
+          .dword _IF              ; ( 0 0 | xt  xt - 0 | xt )
+          .dword notfound         ; ( 0 ) if taken
+          .dword IMMEDQ           ; ( xt -- xt f )
+          .dword ONE              ; ( xt f -- xt f 1 )
+          .dword LOR              ; ( ... xt 1/-1 )
+          .dword NEGATE           ; ( ... xt -1/1 )
 notfound: EXIT
 eword
 
@@ -6575,22 +6573,22 @@ dword     BACKSLASH,"\",F_IMMED
           .dword SOURCEID
           .dword _IF
           .dword term             ; faster
-          ONLIT 0                 ; something to drop...
+          .dword ZERO
 lp:       .dword DROP
           .dword INQ
           .dword _IF
-          .dword done
+          .dword done             ; whole enchilada has been eaten
           .dword GETCH
           .dword DUP
           ONLIT c_cr
           .dword EQUAL
           .dword _IFFALSE
-          .dword ddone            ; if true (= CR)
+          .dword ddone            ; taken if = CR
           .dword DUP
           ONLIT c_lf
           .dword EQUAL
           .dword _IF
-          .dword lp               ; if false (<> LF)
+          .dword lp               ; taken if <> LF
 ddone:    .dword DROP
 done:     EXIT
 term:     .dword NIN
@@ -6831,7 +6829,7 @@ eword
 dword     EVALUATE,"EVALUATE"
           ENTER
           .dword SAVEINPUT
-          .dword XNPtoR            ; throw it all on the return stack
+          .dword XNPtoR           ; throw it all on the return stack
           .dword PtoR             ; along with the count
           ONLIT -1
           .dword dSOURCEID        ; standard requires source-id to be -1 during EVALUATE
diff --git a/asm/interpreter.s b/asm/interpreter.s
index d3b4230..0c70e6c 100644
--- a/asm/interpreter.s
+++ b/asm/interpreter.s
@@ -915,17 +915,16 @@ good:     sec
           rts
 .endproc
 
-
 ; search dictionary for word at WR, length in XR, start of search (header) at YR
 ; if found, AY=XT and carry set, otherwise
 ; AY=0 and carry clear
-; preserves WR, XR, and YR
+; preserves WR, XR; YR points at the header of the last word considered
 .proc     _search
 olp:      lda   YR
           ora   YR+2
           beq   notfnd
           ldy   #$04                ; offset of length
-          lda   [YR],y              ; get name length
+          lda   [YR],y              ; get name length (we pull in two bytes)
           and   #$7F                ; mask in significant bits
           cmp   XR                  ; compare to supplied
           bne   snext               ; not the right word
@@ -939,12 +938,14 @@ olp:      lda   YR
           .a8
           ldx   XR                  ; get length to match
           ldy   #$05                ; offset of name
-clp:      lda   [WR]
-          jsr   _cupper8            ; upper case
-          cmp   [YR],y              ; compare char
+clp:      lda   [WR]                ; char in the word we are searching for
+          jsr   _cupper8            ; upper case it
+          cmp   [YR],y              ; compare to char in definition
           bne   xsnext              ; no match
-          iny                       ; move to next char
-          jsr   _incwr
+          iny                       ; move to next char of name in def
+          rep   #SHORT_A
+          jsr   _incwr              ; move to next char of word we are searching for
+          sep   #SHORT_A
           dex                       ; if X hit zero, matched it all
           bne   clp                 ; if it didn't, keep going
           rep   #SHORT_A            ; match!
@@ -963,6 +964,7 @@ clp:      lda   [WR]
           sec
           rts
 xsnext:   rep   #SHORT_A
+          .a16                      ; good habit
           plx
           pla
           sta   WR