Hi list, Here is my speculative language idea for Python: Allow the following alternative spelling of the keyword `lambda': λ (That is "Unicode Character 'GREEK SMALL LETTER LAMDA' (U+03BB).") Background: I have been using the Vim "conceal" functionality with a rule which visually replaces lambda with λ when editing Python files. I find this a great improvement in readability since λ is visually less distracting while still quite distinctive. (The fact that λ is syntax-colored as a keyword also helps with this.) However, at the moment the nice syntax is lost when looking at the file through another editor or viewer. Therefore I would really like this to be an official part of the Python syntax. I know people have been clamoring for shorter lambda-syntax in the past, I think this is a nice minimal extension. Example code: lst.sort(key=lambda x: x.lookup_first_name()) lst.sort(key=λ x: x.lookup_first_name()) # Church numerals zero = λ f: λ x: x one = λ f: λ x: f(x) two = λ f: λ x: f(f(x)) (Yes, Python is my favorite Scheme dialect. Why did you ask?) Note that a number of other languages already allow this. (Racket, Haskell). You can judge the aesthetics of this on your own code with the following sed command. sed 's/\<lambda\>/λ/g' Advantages: * The lambda keyword is quite long and distracts from the "meat" of the lambda expression. Replacing it by a single-character keyword improves readability. * The resulting code resembles more closely mathematical notation (in particular, lambda-calculus notation), so it brings Python closer to being "executable pseudo-code". * The alternative spelling λ/lambda is quite intuitive (at least to anybody who knows Greek letters.) Disadvantages: For your convenience already noticed here: * Introducing λ is introducing TIMTOWTDI. * Hard to type with certain editors. But note that the old syntax is still available. Easy to fix by upgrading to VIM ;-) * Will turn a pre-existing legal identifier λ into a keyword. So backward-incompatible. Needless to say, my personal opinion is that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. ;-) Greetings, Stephan