diff --git a/implementations/C/joy.c b/implementations/C/joy.c
index 4e27885..61f3c6f 100644
--- a/implementations/C/joy.c
+++ b/implementations/C/joy.c
@@ -265,18 +265,10 @@ concat_lists(JoyList a, JoyList b)
 void
 push_thing_in_unit_list(JoyTypePtr term, JoyListPtr expression)
 {
-	JoyList x = EMPTY_LIST;
-	JoyListPtr xPtr = &x;
-	push_thing(term, xPtr);  /* TODO: is this some weird error?
-	you get a pointer x on the stack,
-	set it to NULL (EMPTY_LIST),
-	then take x's address and put it in another pointer xPtr,
-	doens't that leave the tail of the JoyList node created in push_thing
-	pointing to the x pointer on the C stack in this function?
-	And doesn't that variable go away when we return?
-	How and why does this work?  Is it an illusion, a bug waiting to bite?
-	*/
-	push_quote_onto_expression(*xPtr, expression);
+	JoyList node = newJoyList;
+	node->head = term;
+	node->tail = EMPTY_LIST;
+	push_quote_onto_expression(node, expression);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/implementations/C/joy.h b/implementations/C/joy.h
index de5c22f..c6a5fdb 100644
--- a/implementations/C/joy.h
+++ b/implementations/C/joy.h
@@ -21,11 +21,10 @@ along with Thun.  If not see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 
 enum JoyTypeType {
-	joySymbol,
-	joyTrue,
-	joyFalse,
 	joyInt,
-	joyList
+	joyList,
+	joySymbol,
+	joyTrue, joyFalse
 };
 
 typedef struct list_node* JoyList;
@@ -55,21 +54,19 @@ typedef struct list_node {
 
 typedef void JoyFunc(JoyListPtr, JoyListPtr);
 
-
-JoyList text_to_expression(char *text);
-void push_quote_onto_expression(JoyList el, JoyListPtr expression);
-void init_defs(void);
-
-
 JoyFunc add, branch, clear, cmp_joyfunc, cons, concat, dip, dup, first,
 i_joyfunc, inscribe, loop, lshift, pop, rest, rshift, stack, swaack,
 swap, mul, sub, fdiv_q, fdiv_r, truthy, fn;
 
 
-struct dict_entry  {
+struct dict_entry {
 	char *name;
 	JoyFunc *func;
 };
 
 const struct dict_entry *
 in_word_set (register const char *str, register size_t len);
+
+JoyList text_to_expression(char *text);
+void push_quote_onto_expression(JoyList el, JoyListPtr expression);
+void init_defs(void);