diff --git a/rlp.cabal b/rlp.cabal
index 660a3d8..3feaf3b 100644
--- a/rlp.cabal
+++ b/rlp.cabal
@@ -94,8 +94,12 @@ test-suite rlp-test
                  , QuickCheck
                  , hspec            ==2.*
                  , microlens
+                 , text
+                 , pretty
+                 , microlens-platform
     other-modules: Arith
                  , GMSpec
+                 , CoreSyntax
                  , Core.HindleyMilnerSpec
     build-tool-depends: hspec-discover:hspec-discover
 
diff --git a/src/Core/Lex.x b/src/Core/Lex.x
index d5cdc1e..215ad3c 100644
--- a/src/Core/Lex.x
+++ b/src/Core/Lex.x
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ rlp :-
     \n                      { skip }
 }
 
+-- TODO: negative literals
+
 <pragma>
 {
     "#-}"                   { constTok TokenRPragma `andBegin` 0 }
diff --git a/tst/CoreSyntax.hs b/tst/CoreSyntax.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f93929
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tst/CoreSyntax.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings, LambdaCase #-}
+module CoreSyntax
+    (
+    )
+    where
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+import Core.Syntax
+import Control.Arrow                ((>>>), (&&&))
+import Control.Monad
+import Data.List                    (intersperse)
+import Data.Text                    (Text)
+import Data.Text                    qualified as T
+import Test.QuickCheck
+import Text.PrettyPrint             hiding ((<>))
+import Data.Functor                 ((<&>))
+import Data.Function                ((&), on)
+import Data.String                  (IsString(..))
+import Lens.Micro.Platform
+import Lens.Micro.Platform.Internal (IsText(..))
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+newtype ProgramSrc = ProgramSrc Text
+    deriving Show
+
+instance Arbitrary ProgramSrc where
+    arbitrary = sized genProg where
+
+        genProg :: Int -> Gen ProgramSrc
+        genProg n = do
+            -- in generating a program, we create a random list of sc names and
+            -- assign them type signatures and definitions in random order.
+            ns <- replicateM n genName
+               -- generate a typesig and def for each name
+            ns & each %~ (genTySig &&& genScDef)
+               -- [(typesig, scdef)] -> [typesigs and scdefs]
+               & uncurry (++) . unzip
+               -- [Gen Text] -> Gen [Text]
+               & sequenceA
+               -- shuffle order of tysigs and scdefs
+               >>= shuffle
+               -- terminate each tysig and scdef with a semicolon with a blank
+               -- line for legibility
+               <&> intersperse ";\n\n"
+               -- mconcat into a single body of text
+               <&> mconcat
+               -- she's done! put a bow on her! :D
+               <&> ProgramSrc
+
+        genTySig :: Name -> Gen Text
+        genTySig n = conseq [pure n, ws, pure "::", ws, genTy]
+
+        genScDef :: Name -> Gen Text
+        genScDef n = conseq [pure n, ws, pure "=", ws, genExpr]
+
+        genExpr :: Gen Text
+        genExpr = gen 4 0 where
+            gen 0 _ = oneof
+                [ genVar
+                , genLit
+                ]
+            gen n p = oneof
+                [ gen 0 p
+                , wrapParens <$> gen n' 0
+                , genApp n p
+                , genLet n p
+                , genLam n p
+                , genCase n p
+                ]
+                where n' = next n
+
+            genVar = oneof
+                [ genName
+                , genCon
+                , wrapParens <$> genSymName
+                , wrapParens <$> genSymCon
+                ]
+
+            genCase n p = conseq [ pure "case", ws1, gen n' 0, ws1, pure "of"
+                                 , pure "{", alts, pure "}"
+                                 ]
+                        <&> pprec 0 p
+                where
+                    n' = next n
+                    alts = chooseSize (1,6) (listOf1 alt)
+                         <&> intersperse ";"
+                         <&> mconcat
+                    alt = conseq [ tag, ws, pure "->", ws1, gen n' 0 ]
+                    tag = T.pack . show <$> chooseInt (0,maxBound)
+
+            genLit = T.pack . show <$> chooseInt (0,maxBound)
+
+            genApp n p = chooseSize (2,10) (listOf1 (gen n' 1))
+                     <&> pprec 0 p . mconcat . intersperse " "
+                where
+                    n' = next n
+
+            genLet n p = conseq [ letw, ws, pure "{", ws, binds
+                                , ws, pure "}", ws, pure "in"
+                                , ws1, gen n' 0
+                                ]
+                where
+                    letw = arbitrary <&> \case
+                        Rec    -> "letrec"
+                        NonRec -> "let"
+                    binds = chooseSize (1,6) (listOf1 bind)
+                        <&> intersperse ";"
+                        <&> mconcat
+                    bind = conseq [var, ws, pure "=", ws, gen n' 0]
+                    var = oneof [genName, wrapParens <$> genSymName]
+                    n' = next n
+
+            genLam n p = conseq [l, ws, bs, pure "->", ws, gen n' 0]
+                     <&> pprec 0 p
+                where
+                    l = elements ["\\", "λ"]
+                    n' = next n
+                    bs = chooseSize (0,6) (listOf1 genName)
+                     <&> mconcat
+
+            next = (`div` 2)
+
+        genTy :: Gen Text
+        genTy = gen 4 where
+            gen 0 = genCon
+            gen n = oneof
+                [ gen 0
+                -- function types
+                , conseq [gen n', ws, pure "->", ws, gen n']
+                -- TODO: type applications (remember precedence lol)
+                ]
+                where n' = n `div` 2
+
+instance Arbitrary Rec where
+    arbitrary = elements [Rec,NonRec]
+
+chooseSize :: (Int, Int) -> Gen a -> Gen a
+chooseSize (a,b) g = do
+    n <- chooseInt (a,b)
+    resize n g
+
+-- | @pprec q p s@ wraps @s@ with parens when @p <= q@
+pprec :: (IsString a, Monoid a) => Int -> Int -> a -> a
+pprec maxp p
+    | p <= maxp = id
+    | otherwise = wrapParens
+
+wrapParens :: (IsString a, Monoid a) => a -> a
+wrapParens t = "(" <> t <> ")"
+
+conseq :: (Applicative f, Monoid m, Traversable t)
+       => t (f m)
+       -> f m
+conseq tfm = sequenceA tfm <&> the_cool_kid's_concat
+    -- me when `concat` is generalised in the container but specialised in the
+    -- value, and `mconcat` is specialised in the container but generalised in
+    -- the value. shoutout `foldMap id`
+    where the_cool_kid's_concat = foldMap id
+
+genName :: Gen Name
+genName = T.pack <$> liftA2 (:) small namechars where
+    small = elements ['a'..'z']
+
+genCon :: Gen Name
+genCon = T.pack <$> liftA2 (:) large namechars where
+    large = elements ['A'..'Z']
+
+genSymName :: Gen Name
+genSymName = T.pack <$> liftA2 (:) symbol symchars where
+    symbol = elements nameSymbols
+
+genSymCon :: Gen Name
+genSymCon = T.pack . (':' :) <$> symchars
+
+namechars :: Gen String
+namechars = liftArbitrary namechar where
+    namechar :: Gen Char
+    namechar = elements $ ['a'..'z'] <> ['A'..'Z'] <> ['0'..'9'] <> "'"
+
+nameSymbols :: [Char]
+nameSymbols = "!#$%&*+./<=>?@^|-~"
+
+symchars :: Gen String
+symchars = liftArbitrary symchar where
+    symchar = elements $ ':' : nameSymbols
+
+txt :: (IsText t) => t -> Doc
+txt t = t ^. unpacked & text
+
+ws :: (IsString a) => Gen a
+ws = elements [""," ", "  "]
+
+ws1 :: (IsString a) => Gen a
+ws1 = elements [" ", "  "]
+