diff --git a/examples/lang/hysteresis1.mcl b/examples/lang/hysteresis1.mcl
index ae643ddd..2eee093c 100644
--- a/examples/lang/hysteresis1.mcl
+++ b/examples/lang/hysteresis1.mcl
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ $threshold = 1.5	# change me if you like
 $h1 = $theload > $threshold
 $h2 = $theload{1} > $threshold
 $h3 = $theload{2} > $threshold
-$unload = $h1 || $h2 || $h3
+$unload = $h1 or $h2 or $h3
 
 virt "mgmt1" {
 	uri => "qemu:///session",
diff --git a/examples/lang/map-iterator1.mcl b/examples/lang/map-iterator1.mcl
index 86165229..362d32a8 100644
--- a/examples/lang/map-iterator1.mcl
+++ b/examples/lang/map-iterator1.mcl
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ $mod0 = math.mod($now, 8) == 0
 $mod1 = math.mod($now, 8) == 1
 $mod2 = math.mod($now, 8) == 2
 $mod3 = math.mod($now, 8) == 3
-$mod = $mod0 || $mod1 || $mod2 || $mod3
+$mod = $mod0 or $mod1 or $mod2 or $mod3
 
 $fn = func($x) { # notable because concrete type is fn(t1) t2, where t1 != t2
 	len($x)
diff --git a/examples/lang/map-iterator2.mcl b/examples/lang/map-iterator2.mcl
index 917d24f5..09e7ff46 100644
--- a/examples/lang/map-iterator2.mcl
+++ b/examples/lang/map-iterator2.mcl
@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ $mod0 = math.mod($now, 8) == 0
 $mod1 = math.mod($now, 8) == 1
 $mod2 = math.mod($now, 8) == 2
 $mod3 = math.mod($now, 8) == 3
-$moda = $mod0 || $mod1 || $mod2 || $mod3
+$moda = $mod0 or $mod1 or $mod2 or $mod3
 
 $mod4 = math.mod($now, 8) == 4
 $mod5 = math.mod($now, 8) == 5
 $mod6 = math.mod($now, 8) == 6
 $mod7 = math.mod($now, 8) == 7
-$modb = $mod4 || $mod5 || $mod6 || $mod7
+$modb = $mod4 or $mod5 or $mod6 or $mod7
 
 $fn = if $moda {
 	func($x) { # notable because concrete type is fn(t1) t2, where t1 != t2
diff --git a/examples/lang/readonlyfriday.mcl b/examples/lang/readonlyfriday.mcl
index 581cfa7b..b43a9f99 100644
--- a/examples/lang/readonlyfriday.mcl
+++ b/examples/lang/readonlyfriday.mcl
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ $s1 = template("Hello! It is now: {{ datetime_print . }}\n", $now)
 $s2 = if $is_friday {
 	"It's friday!!! (don't break anything, read-only)"
 } else {
-	if $day == "saturday" || $day == "sunday" {
+	if $day == "saturday" or $day == "sunday" {
 		"It's the weekend!"
 	} else {
 		fmt.printf("Unfortunately, it is %s. Go to work!", $day)
diff --git a/examples/lang/reverse1.mcl b/examples/lang/reverse1.mcl
index 8579ec52..b715cf1e 100644
--- a/examples/lang/reverse1.mcl
+++ b/examples/lang/reverse1.mcl
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ $mod0 = math.mod($now, 8) == 0
 $mod1 = math.mod($now, 8) == 1
 $mod2 = math.mod($now, 8) == 2
 $mod3 = math.mod($now, 8) == 3
-$mod = $mod0 || $mod1 || $mod2 || $mod3
+$mod = $mod0 or $mod1 or $mod2 or $mod3
 
 file "/tmp/mgmt/" {
 	state => $const.res.file.state.exists,
diff --git a/examples/lang/reverse2.mcl b/examples/lang/reverse2.mcl
index 5e6203e5..fca66776 100644
--- a/examples/lang/reverse2.mcl
+++ b/examples/lang/reverse2.mcl
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ $mod0 = math.mod($now, 8) == 0
 $mod1 = math.mod($now, 8) == 1
 $mod2 = math.mod($now, 8) == 2
 $mod3 = math.mod($now, 8) == 3
-$mod = $mod0 || $mod1 || $mod2 || $mod3
+$mod = $mod0 or $mod1 or $mod2 or $mod3
 
 file "/tmp/mgmt/" {
 	state => $const.res.file.state.exists,
diff --git a/examples/lang/reverse3.mcl b/examples/lang/reverse3.mcl
index 16b29437..9cb3fe4b 100644
--- a/examples/lang/reverse3.mcl
+++ b/examples/lang/reverse3.mcl
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ $mod0 = math.mod($now, 8) == 0
 $mod1 = math.mod($now, 8) == 1
 $mod2 = math.mod($now, 8) == 2
 $mod3 = math.mod($now, 8) == 3
-$mod = $mod0 || $mod1 || $mod2 || $mod3
+$mod = $mod0 or $mod1 or $mod2 or $mod3
 
 file "/tmp/mgmt/" {
 	state => $const.res.file.state.exists,
diff --git a/examples/lang/states0.mcl b/examples/lang/states0.mcl
index 1a3a59a1..db856860 100644
--- a/examples/lang/states0.mcl
+++ b/examples/lang/states0.mcl
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ $ns = "estate"
 $exchanged = world.kvlookup($ns)
 $state = maplookup($exchanged, $hostname, "default")
 
-if $state == "one" || $state == "default" {
+if $state == "one" or $state == "default" {
 
 	file "/tmp/mgmt/state" {
 		state => $const.res.file.state.exists,
diff --git a/lang/funcs/operator_func.go b/lang/funcs/operator_func.go
index 018c54c6..3cd69bb5 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/operator_func.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/operator_func.go
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ func init() {
 	// logical and
 	// TODO: is there a way for the engine to have
 	// short-circuit operators, and does it matter?
-	RegisterOperator("&&", &types.FuncValue{
+	RegisterOperator("and", &types.FuncValue{
 		T: types.NewType("func(a bool, b bool) bool"),
 		V: func(input []types.Value) (types.Value, error) {
 			return &types.BoolValue{
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ func init() {
 		},
 	})
 	// logical or
-	RegisterOperator("||", &types.FuncValue{
+	RegisterOperator("or", &types.FuncValue{
 		T: types.NewType("func(a bool, b bool) bool"),
 		V: func(input []types.Value) (types.Value, error) {
 			return &types.BoolValue{
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ func init() {
 	})
 
 	// logical not (unary operator)
-	RegisterOperator("!", &types.FuncValue{
+	RegisterOperator("not", &types.FuncValue{
 		T: types.NewType("func(a bool) bool"),
 		V: func(input []types.Value) (types.Value, error) {
 			return &types.BoolValue{
diff --git a/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc1/slow_unification0.txtar b/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc1/slow_unification0.txtar
index adc5a4db..d13216a8 100644
--- a/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc1/slow_unification0.txtar
+++ b/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc1/slow_unification0.txtar
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ $ns = "estate"
 $exchanged = world.kvlookup($ns)
 $state = maplookup($exchanged, $hostname, "default")
 
-if $state == "one" || $state == "default" {
+if $state == "one" or $state == "default" {
 
 	file "/tmp/mgmt/state" {
 		content => "state: one\n",
diff --git a/lang/parser/lexer.nex b/lang/parser/lexer.nex
index 86f89ba7..5d165c39 100644
--- a/lang/parser/lexer.nex
+++ b/lang/parser/lexer.nex
@@ -119,17 +119,17 @@
 			lval.str = yylex.Text()
 			return GTE
 		}
-/&&/		{
+/and/		{
 			yylex.pos(lval) // our pos
 			lval.str = yylex.Text()
 			return AND
 		}
-/\|\|/		{
+/or/		{
 			yylex.pos(lval) // our pos
 			lval.str = yylex.Text()
 			return OR
 		}
-/!/		{
+/not/		{
 			yylex.pos(lval) // our pos
 			lval.str = yylex.Text()
 			return NOT
diff --git a/lang/parser/lexparse_test.go b/lang/parser/lexparse_test.go
index a1efe256..fde80de4 100644
--- a/lang/parser/lexparse_test.go
+++ b/lang/parser/lexparse_test.go
@@ -945,7 +945,7 @@ func TestLexParse0(t *testing.T) {
 										Name: funcs.OperatorFuncName,
 										Args: []interfaces.Expr{
 											&ast.ExprStr{
-												V: "!",
+												V: "not",
 											},
 											&ast.ExprInt{
 												V: 3,
@@ -966,7 +966,7 @@ func TestLexParse0(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "order of operations with not",
 			code: `
 			test "t1" {
-				boolptr => ! 3 > 4, # should parse, but not compile
+				boolptr => not 3 > 4, # should parse, but not compile
 			}
 			`,
 			fail: false,
@@ -988,7 +988,7 @@ func TestLexParse0(t *testing.T) {
 								Name: funcs.OperatorFuncName,
 								Args: []interfaces.Expr{
 									&ast.ExprStr{
-										V: "&&",
+										V: "and",
 									},
 									&ast.ExprCall{
 										Name: funcs.OperatorFuncName,
@@ -1018,7 +1018,7 @@ func TestLexParse0(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "order of operations logical",
 			code: `
 			test "t1" {
-				boolptr => 7 < 4 && true, # should be false
+				boolptr => 7 < 4 and true, # should be false
 			}
 			`,
 			fail: false,