diff --git a/samples/std.ink b/samples/std.ink
index 10f8cdd..d6e0782 100644
--- a/samples/std.ink
+++ b/samples/std.ink
@@ -19,12 +19,10 @@ hToN := {0: 0, 1: 1, 2: 2, 3: 3, 4: 4, 5: 5, 6: 6, 7: 7, 8: 8, 9: 9, 'a': 10, 'b
 nToH := '0123456789abcdef'
 
 ` take number, return hex string `
-hex := n => (
-	(sub := (p, acc) => p < 16 :: {
-		true -> nToH.(p) + acc
-		false -> sub(floor(p / 16), nToH.(p % 16) + acc)
-	})(floor(n), '')
-)
+hex := n => (sub := (p, acc) => p < 16 :: {
+	true -> nToH.(p) + acc
+	false -> sub(floor(p / 16), nToH.(p % 16) + acc)
+})(floor(n), '')
 
 ` take hex string, return number `
 xeh := s => (
@@ -67,7 +65,7 @@ range := (start, end, step) => (
 )
 
 ` clamp start and end numbers to ranges, such that
-	start < end. Utility used in slice/sliceList`
+	start < end. Utility used in slice `
 clamp := (start, end, min, max) => (
 	start := (start < min :: {
 		true -> min
@@ -92,32 +90,20 @@ clamp := (start, end, min, max) => (
 	}
 )
 
-` get a substring of a given string `
-slice := (str, start, end) => (
-	` bounds checks `
-	x := clamp(start, end, 0, len(str))
-	start := x.start
-	end := x.end
-
-	max := end - start
-	(sub := (i, acc) => i :: {
-		max -> acc
-		_ -> sub(i + 1, acc.(i) := str.(start + i))
-	})(0, '')
-)
-
-` get a sub-list of a given list `
-sliceList := (list, start, end) => (
+` get a substring of a given string, or sublist of a given list `
+slice := (s, start, end) => (
 	` bounds checks `
-	x := clamp(start, end, 0, len(list))
+	x := clamp(start, end, 0, len(s))
 	start := x.start
-	end := x.end
+	max := x.end - start
 
-	max := end - start
 	(sub := (i, acc) => i :: {
 		max -> acc
-		_ -> sub(i + 1, acc.(i) := list.(start + i))
-	})(0, [])
+		_ -> sub(i + 1, acc.(i) := s.(start + i))
+	})(0, type(s) :: {
+		'string' -> ''
+		'composite' -> []
+	})
 )
 
 ` join one list to the end of another, return the original first list `
@@ -191,19 +177,7 @@ reduceBack := (list, f, acc) => (
 )
 
 ` flatten by depth 1 `
-flatten := list => (
-	max := len(list)
-	(sub := (i, count, acc) => i :: {
-		max -> acc
-		_ -> (
-			cur := list.(i)
-			each(cur, (item, idx) => (
-				acc.(count + idx) := item
-			))
-			sub(i + 1, count + len(cur), acc)
-		)
-	})(0, 0, [])
-)
+flatten := list => reduce(list, join, [])
 
 ` true iff some items in list are true `
 some := list => reduce(list, (acc, x) => acc | x, false)
diff --git a/samples/test.ink b/samples/test.ink
index d95e73e..17a0a68 100755
--- a/samples/test.ink
+++ b/samples/test.ink
@@ -558,43 +558,42 @@ m('type() builtin function')
 m('std.range/slice/append/join/cat and stringList')
 (
 	stringList := std.stringList
-	sliceList := std.sliceList
 	range := std.range
 	reverse := std.reverse
 	slice := std.slice
 	join := std.join
 	cat := std.cat
 
-	` slice/sliceList returns copies `
+	` slice returns copies `
 	(
 		st := '12345'
 		li := [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
 
 		stc := slice(st, 0, len(st))
-		lic := sliceList(li, 0, len(li))
+		lic := slice(li, 0, len(li))
 		stc.2 := 'x'
 		lic.2 := 'x'
 
 		t('slice(string) should make a copy', st, '12345')
 		t('slice(string) should return a copy', stc, '12x45')
-		t('sliceList(list) should make a copy', li, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5])
-		t('sliceList(list) should return a copy', lic, [1, 2, 'x', 4, 5])
+		t('slice(list) should make a copy', li, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5])
+		t('slice(list) should return a copy', lic, [1, 2, 'x', 4, 5])
 	)
 
-	sl := (l, s, e) => stringList(sliceList(l, s, e))
+	sl := (l, s, e) => stringList(slice(l, s, e))
 	list := range(10, ~1, ~1)
 	str := 'abracadabra'
 
-	t('sliceList(list)', sl(list, 0, 5), '[10, 9, 8, 7, 6]')
-	t('sliceList with OOB lower bound', sl(list, ~5, 2), '[10, 9]')
-	t('sliceList with OOB upper bound', sl(list, 7, 20), '[3, 2, 1, 0]')
-	t('sliceList with OOB both bounds', sl(list, 20, 1), '[]')
+	t('slice(list)', sl(list, 0, 5), '[10, 9, 8, 7, 6]')
+	t('slice with OOB lower bound', sl(list, ~5, 2), '[10, 9]')
+	t('slice with OOB upper bound', sl(list, 7, 20), '[3, 2, 1, 0]')
+	t('slice with OOB both bounds', sl(list, 20, 1), '[]')
 
 	` redefine list using range and reverse, to t those `
 	list := reverse(range(0, 11, 1))
 
 	t('join() homogeneous lists', stringList(join(
-		sliceList(list, 0, 5), sliceList(list, 5, 200)
+		slice(list, 0, 5), slice(list, 5, 200)
 	)), '[10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0]')
 	t('join() heterogeneous lists', stringList(join(
 		[1, 2, 3]
diff --git a/samples/tictactoe.ink b/samples/tictactoe.ink
index c04554f..523f0bf 100644
--- a/samples/tictactoe.ink
+++ b/samples/tictactoe.ink
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ std := load('std')
 log := std.log
 scan := std.scan
 f := std.format
-sliceList := std.sliceList
+slice := std.slice
 map := std.map
 reduce := std.reduce
 filter := std.filter
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ checkBoard := bd => (
 			true -> Result.O
 			_ -> (
 				` check if game ended in a tie `
-				takenCells := filter(sliceList(bd, 1, 10), val => ~(val = 0))
+				takenCells := filter(slice(bd, 1, 10), val => ~(val = 0))
 				len(takenCells) :: {
 					9 -> Result.Tie
 					_ -> Result.None