diff --git a/examples/bool.quox b/examples/bool.quox
index c8d7f2f..c05e4c1 100644
--- a/examples/bool.quox
+++ b/examples/bool.quox
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def0 If : 1.Bool → 0.★₀ → 0.★₀ → ★₀ =
 def0 T : ω.Bool → ★₀ = λ b ⇒ If b True False;
 
 def true-not-false : Not ('true ≡ 'false : Bool) =
-  λ eq ⇒ coe [i ⇒ T (eq @i)] 'true;
+  λ eq ⇒ coe (i ⇒ T (eq @i)) 'true;
 
 
 -- [todo] infix
diff --git a/examples/misc.quox b/examples/misc.quox
index 646168f..47ba323 100644
--- a/examples/misc.quox
+++ b/examples/misc.quox
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def0 All : 0.(A : ★₀) → 0.(Pred A) → ★₁ =
 
 def cong :
     0.(A : ★₀) → 0.(P : Pred A) → 1.(p : All A P) →
-    0.(x y : A) → 1.(xy : x ≡ y : A) → Eq [𝑖 ⇒ P (xy @𝑖)] (p x) (p y) =
+    0.(x y : A) → 1.(xy : x ≡ y : A) → Eq (𝑖 ⇒ P (xy @𝑖)) (p x) (p y) =
   λ A P p x y xy ⇒ δ 𝑖 ⇒ p (xy @𝑖);
 
 def0 eq-f :
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ def funext :
   λ A P p q eq ⇒ δ 𝑖 ⇒ λ x ⇒ eq x @𝑖;
 
 def sym : 0.(A : ★₀) → 0.(x y : A) → 1.(x ≡ y : A) → y ≡ x : A =
-  λ A x y eq ⇒ δ 𝑖 ⇒ comp [A] (eq @0) @𝑖 { 0 𝑗 ⇒ eq @𝑗; 1 _ ⇒ eq @0 };
+  λ A x y eq ⇒ δ 𝑖 ⇒ comp A (eq @0) @𝑖 { 0 𝑗 ⇒ eq @𝑗; 1 _ ⇒ eq @0 };
 
 def trans : 0.(A : ★₀) → 0.(x y z : A) →
             ω.(x ≡ y : A) → ω.(y ≡ z : A) → x ≡ z : A =
   λ A x y z eq1 eq2 ⇒ δ 𝑖 ⇒
-    comp [A] (eq1 @𝑖) @𝑖 { 0 _ ⇒ eq1 @0; 1 𝑗 ⇒ eq2 @𝑗 };
+    comp A (eq1 @𝑖) @𝑖 { 0 _ ⇒ eq1 @0; 1 𝑗 ⇒ eq2 @𝑗 };
diff --git a/examples/nat.quox b/examples/nat.quox
index 7c2b538..ef0784e 100644
--- a/examples/nat.quox
+++ b/examples/nat.quox
@@ -48,10 +48,10 @@ def isSucc? : ω.(n : ℕ) → Dec (IsSucc n) =
   };
 
 def zero-not-succ : 0.(m : ℕ) → Not (zero ≡ succ m : ℕ) =
-  λ m eq ⇒ coe [𝑖 ⇒ IsSucc (eq @𝑖)] @1 @0 'true;
+  λ m eq ⇒ coe (𝑖 ⇒ IsSucc (eq @𝑖)) @1 @0 'true;
 
 def succ-not-zero : 0.(m : ℕ) → Not (succ m ≡ zero : ℕ) =
-  λ m eq ⇒ coe [𝑖 ⇒ IsSucc (eq @𝑖)] 'true;
+  λ m eq ⇒ coe (𝑖 ⇒ IsSucc (eq @𝑖)) 'true;
 
 
 def0 not-succ-self : 0.(m : ℕ) → Not (m ≡ succ m : ℕ) =
diff --git a/lib/Quox/Parser/Parser.idr b/lib/Quox/Parser/Parser.idr
index 7eaa5da..a54fb89 100644
--- a/lib/Quox/Parser/Parser.idr
+++ b/lib/Quox/Parser/Parser.idr
@@ -245,15 +245,6 @@ export
 term : FileName -> Grammar True PTerm
 -- defined after all the subterm parsers
 
-export
-typeLine : FileName -> Grammar True (PatVar, PTerm)
-typeLine fname = do
-  resC "["
-  mustWork $ do
-    i <- patVar fname <* resC "⇒" <|> unused fname
-    t <- assert_total term fname <* needRes "]"
-    pure (i, t)
-
 ||| box term `[t]` or type `[π.A]`
 export
 boxTerm : FileName -> Grammar True PTerm
@@ -287,6 +278,19 @@ termArg fname = withLoc fname $
   <|> [|V qname|]
   <|> const <$> tupleTerm fname
 
+export
+properTypeLine : FileName -> Grammar True (PatVar, PTerm)
+properTypeLine fname = do
+  resC "("
+  i <- patVar fname <* resC "⇒" <|> unused fname
+  t <- assert_total term fname <* needRes ")"
+  pure (i, t)
+
+export
+typeLine : FileName -> Grammar True (PatVar, PTerm)
+typeLine fname =
+  properTypeLine fname <|> [|(,) (unused fname) (termArg fname)|]
+
 ||| optionally, two dimension arguments. if absent default to `@0 @1`
 private
 optDirection : FileName -> Grammar False (PDim, PDim)
diff --git a/lib/Quox/Pretty.idr b/lib/Quox/Pretty.idr
index 718899f..cc427a3 100644
--- a/lib/Quox/Pretty.idr
+++ b/lib/Quox/Pretty.idr
@@ -148,6 +148,10 @@ export %inline
 braces : {opts : _} -> Doc opts -> Eff Pretty (Doc opts)
 braces = looseDelims "{" "}"
 
+export %inline
+tightBraces : {opts : _} -> Doc opts -> Eff Pretty (Doc opts)
+tightBraces = tightDelims "{" "}"
+
 export %inline
 parensIf : {opts : _} -> Bool -> Doc opts -> Eff Pretty (Doc opts)
 parensIf True  = parens
diff --git a/lib/Quox/Syntax/Term/Pretty.idr b/lib/Quox/Syntax/Term/Pretty.idr
index a8b042e..4d8e81d 100644
--- a/lib/Quox/Syntax/Term/Pretty.idr
+++ b/lib/Quox/Syntax/Term/Pretty.idr
@@ -136,9 +136,9 @@ prettyTypeLine : {opts : _} ->
                  DScopeTerm d n ->
                  Eff Pretty (Doc opts)
 prettyTypeLine dnames tnames (S _ (N body)) =
-  bracks =<< withPrec Outer (prettyTerm dnames tnames body)
+  withPrec Arg (prettyTerm dnames tnames body)
 prettyTypeLine dnames tnames (S [< i] (Y body)) =
-  bracks =<< do
+  parens =<< do
     i'  <- prettyDBind i
     ty' <- withPrec Outer $ prettyTerm (dnames :< i) tnames body
     pure $ sep [hsep [i', !darrowD], ty']
@@ -281,9 +281,9 @@ prettyTag tag = hl Tag $ text $ "'" ++ quoteTag tag
 export
 prettyEnum : {opts : _} -> List String -> Eff Pretty (Doc opts)
 prettyEnum cases =
-  tightDelims "{" "}" =<<
+  tightBraces =<<
   fillSeparateTight !commaD <$>
-  traverse (hl Tag . text . quoteTag) cases
+  traverse (hl Tag . Doc.text . quoteTag) cases
 
 private
 prettyCaseRet : {opts : _} ->
diff --git a/tests/Tests/Parser.idr b/tests/Tests/Parser.idr
index a41d32f..ffb7378 100644
--- a/tests/Tests/Parser.idr
+++ b/tests/Tests/Parser.idr
@@ -228,13 +228,13 @@ tests = "parser" :- [
   ],
 
   "equality type" :- [
-    parseMatch term "Eq [i ⇒ A] s t"
+    parseMatch term "Eq (i ⇒ A) s t"
       `(Eq (PV "i" _, V "A" _) (V "s" _) (V "t" _) _),
-    parseMatch term "Eq [i ⇒ A (B @i)] (f x) (g y)"
+    parseMatch term "Eq (i ⇒ A (B @i)) (f x) (g y)"
       `(Eq (PV "i" _, App (V "A" _) (DApp (V "B" _) (V "i" _) _) _)
            (App (V "f" _) (V "x" _) _)
            (App (V "g" _) (V "y" _) _) _),
-    parseMatch term "Eq [A] s t"
+    parseMatch term "Eq A s t"
       `(Eq (Unused _, V "A" _) (V "s" _) (V "t" _) _),
     parseMatch term "s ≡ t : A"
       `(Eq (Unused _, V "A" _) (V "s" _) (V "t" _) _),
@@ -286,33 +286,32 @@ tests = "parser" :- [
   ],
 
   "coe" :- [
-    parseMatch term "coe [A] @p @q x"
+    parseMatch term "coe A @p @q x"
       `(Coe (Unused _, V "A" _) (V "p" _) (V "q" _) (V "x" _) _),
-    parseMatch term "coe [i ⇒ A] @p @q x"
+    parseMatch term "coe (i ⇒ A) @p @q x"
       `(Coe (PV "i" _, V "A" _) (V "p" _) (V "q" _) (V "x" _) _),
-    parseMatch term "coe [A] x"
+    parseMatch term "coe A x"
       `(Coe (Unused _, V "A" _) (K Zero _) (K One _) (V "x" _) _),
-    parseFails term "coe [A] @p @q",
-    parseFails term "coe A @p @q x",
-    parseFails term "coe [i ⇒ A] @p q x"
+    parseFails term "coe A @p @q",
+    parseFails term "coe (i ⇒ A) @p q x"
   ],
 
   "comp" :- [
-    parseMatch term "comp [A] @p @q s @r { 0 𝑗 ⇒ s₀; 1 𝑘 ⇒ s₁ }"
+    parseMatch term "comp A @p @q s @r { 0 𝑗 ⇒ s₀; 1 𝑘 ⇒ s₁ }"
       `(Comp (Unused _, V "A" _) (V "p" _) (V "q" _) (V "s" _) (V "r" _)
           (PV "𝑗" _, V "s₀" _) (PV "𝑘" _, V "s₁" _) _),
-    parseMatch term "comp [𝑖 ⇒ A] @p @q s @r { 0 𝑗 ⇒ s₀; 1 𝑘 ⇒ s₁ }"
+    parseMatch term "comp (𝑖 ⇒ A) @p @q s @r { 0 𝑗 ⇒ s₀; 1 𝑘 ⇒ s₁ }"
       `(Comp (PV "𝑖" _, V "A" _) (V "p" _) (V "q" _) (V "s" _) (V "r" _)
           (PV "𝑗" _, V "s₀" _) (PV "𝑘" _, V "s₁" _) _),
-    parseMatch term "comp [A] @p @q s @r { 1 𝑗 ⇒ s₀; 0 𝑘 ⇒ s₁; }"
+    parseMatch term "comp A @p @q s @r { 1 𝑗 ⇒ s₀; 0 𝑘 ⇒ s₁; }"
       `(Comp (Unused _, V "A" _) (V "p" _) (V "q" _) (V "s" _) (V "r" _)
           (PV "𝑘" _, V "s₁" _) (PV "𝑗" _, V "s₀" _) _),
-    parseMatch term "comp [A] s @r { 0 𝑗 ⇒ s₀; 1 𝑘 ⇒ s₁ }"
+    parseMatch term "comp A s @r { 0 𝑗 ⇒ s₀; 1 𝑘 ⇒ s₁ }"
       `(Comp (Unused _, V "A" _) (K Zero _) (K One _) (V "s" _) (V "r" _)
           (PV "𝑗" _, V "s₀" _) (PV "𝑘" _, V "s₁" _) _),
-    parseFails term "comp [A] @p @q s @r { 1 𝑗 ⇒ s₀; 1 𝑘 ⇒ s₁; }",
-    parseFails term "comp [A] @p @q s @r { 0 𝑗 ⇒ s₀ }",
-    parseFails term "comp [A] @p @q s @r { }"
+    parseFails term "comp A @p @q s @r { 1 𝑗 ⇒ s₀; 1 𝑘 ⇒ s₁; }",
+    parseFails term "comp A @p @q s @r { 0 𝑗 ⇒ s₀ }",
+    parseFails term "comp A @p @q s @r { }"
   ],
 
   "case" :- [