diff --git a/hy/core.hy b/hy/core.hy
index 0406b8e03e..1b6e5327c9 100644
--- a/hy/core.hy
+++ b/hy/core.hy
@@ -3,10 +3,16 @@
 (import [reader [read-str]])
 (import [printer [pr-str]])
 
+(defn sequential? [a]
+  (or (instance? tuple a) (instance? list a)))
+
 (defn equal [a b]
-  (if (and (coll? a) (coll? b) (= (len a) (len b)))
+  (if (and (sequential? a) (sequential? b) (= (len a) (len b)))
       (every? (fn [[a b]] (equal a b)) (zip a b))
 
+      (and (instance? dict a) (instance? dict b) (= (.keys a) (.keys b)))
+      (every? (fn [k] (and (equal (get a k) (get b k)))) a)
+
       (= (type a) (type b))
       (= a b)
 
@@ -41,11 +47,12 @@
    "rest"   (fn [a] (if (none? a) (,) (tuple (rest a))))
    "empty?" empty?
    "count"  (fn [a] (if (none? a) 0 (len a)))
+   "apply"  (fn [f &rest a] (apply f (+ (list (butlast a)) (list (last a)))))
+   "map"    (fn [f a] (tuple (map f a)))
 
    "atom"   (fn [a] (Atom a))
    "atom?"  (fn [a] (instance? Atom a))
    "deref"  (fn [a] a.val)
    "reset!" (fn [a b] (do (setv a.val b) b))
-   "swap!"  (fn [a f &rest args] (do (setv a.val (apply f (+ (, a.val) args)))
-                                     a.val))
+   "swap!"  (fn [a f &rest xs] (do (setv a.val (apply f (+ (, a.val) xs))) a.val))
    })
diff --git a/hy/printer.hy b/hy/printer.hy
index 1e63484810..55809fc195 100644
--- a/hy/printer.hy
+++ b/hy/printer.hy
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 (import [hy.models [HyInteger :as Int HyKeyword :as Keyword
-                    HyString :as Str HySymbol :as Sym HyDict :as Map]])
+                    HyString :as Str HySymbol :as Sym]])
 (import [mal_types [Atom]])
 
 (defn escape [s]
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
       (= t Str)     (if _r (+ "\"" (escape obj) "\"") obj)
       (= t tuple)   (+ "(" (.join " " (map (fn [x] (pr-str x _r)) obj)) ")")
       (= t list)    (+ "[" (.join " " (map (fn [x] (pr-str x _r)) obj)) "]")
-      (= t Map)     (+ "{" (.join " " (map (fn [x] (pr-str x _r)) obj)) "}")
+      (= t dict)    (+ "{" (.join " " (map (fn [k] (+ (pr-str k _r) " "
+                                                      (pr-str (get obj k) _r)))
+                                           obj)) "}")
       (instance? Atom obj) (+ "(atom " (pr-str obj.val _r) ")")
       True          (str obj))))
diff --git a/hy/reader.hy b/hy/reader.hy
index 55010dc5b5..41abec29d3 100644
--- a/hy/reader.hy
+++ b/hy/reader.hy
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 (import [hy.models [HyInteger :as Int HyKeyword :as Keyword
-                    HyString :as Str HySymbol :as Sym HyDict :as Map]]
+                    HyString :as Str HySymbol :as Sym]]
         [re])
 
 (defclass Blank [Exception])
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
     (= "[" token)  (read-seq rdr "[" "]")
 
     (= "}" token)  (raise (Exception "unexpected '}'"))
-    (= "{" token)  (Map (read-seq rdr "{" "}"))
+    (= "{" token)  (dict (partition (read-seq rdr "{" "}") 2))
 
     True           (read-atom rdr)))
 
diff --git a/hy/step2_eval.hy b/hy/step2_eval.hy
index 2b7fd9a431..d6b407b52c 100755
--- a/hy/step2_eval.hy
+++ b/hy/step2_eval.hy
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env hy
 
-(import [hy.models [HyDict :as Map]])
 (import sys traceback)
 (import [reader [read-str Blank]])
 (import [printer [pr-str]])
@@ -14,7 +13,9 @@
   (if
     (symbol? ast)         (if (.has_key env ast) (get env ast)
                               (raise (Exception (+ ast " not found"))))
-    (instance? Map ast)   (Map (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
+    (instance? dict ast)  (dict (map (fn [k]
+                                       [(EVAL k env) (EVAL (get ast k) env)])
+                                     ast))
     (instance? tuple ast) (tuple (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     (instance? list ast)  (list (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     True                  ast))
diff --git a/hy/step3_env.hy b/hy/step3_env.hy
index 31393cef53..95dc3fbbb2 100755
--- a/hy/step3_env.hy
+++ b/hy/step3_env.hy
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env hy
 
-(import [hy.models [HyDict :as Map HySymbol :as Sym]])
+(import [hy.models [HySymbol :as Sym]])
 (import sys traceback)
 (import [reader [read-str Blank]])
 (import [printer [pr-str]])
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@
   ;;(print "eval-ast:" ast (type ast))
   (if
     (symbol? ast)         (env-get env ast)
-    (instance? Map ast)   (Map (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
+    (instance? dict ast)  (dict (map (fn [k]
+                                       [(EVAL k env) (EVAL (get ast k) env)])
+                                     ast))
     (instance? tuple ast) (tuple (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     (instance? list ast)  (list (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     True                  ast))
diff --git a/hy/step4_if_fn_do.hy b/hy/step4_if_fn_do.hy
index 2c8db51871..bf9c6ba737 100755
--- a/hy/step4_if_fn_do.hy
+++ b/hy/step4_if_fn_do.hy
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env hy
 
-(import [hy.models [HyDict :as Map HySymbol :as Sym]])
+(import [hy.models [HySymbol :as Sym]])
 (import sys traceback)
 (import [reader [read-str Blank]])
 (import [printer [pr-str]])
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
   ;;(print "eval-ast:" ast (type ast))
   (if
     (symbol? ast)         (env-get env ast)
-    (instance? Map ast)   (Map (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
+    (instance? dict ast)  (dict (map (fn [k]
+                                       [(EVAL k env) (EVAL (get ast k) env)])
+                                     ast))
     (instance? tuple ast) (tuple (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     (instance? list ast)  (list (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     True                  ast))
diff --git a/hy/step5_tco.hy b/hy/step5_tco.hy
index ebc58fa6b6..6b4ee8fafa 100755
--- a/hy/step5_tco.hy
+++ b/hy/step5_tco.hy
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env hy
 
-(import [hy.models [HyDict :as Map HySymbol :as Sym]])
+(import [hy.models [HySymbol :as Sym]])
 (import sys traceback)
 (import [reader [read-str Blank]])
 (import [printer [pr-str]])
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
   ;;(print "eval-ast:" ast (type ast))
   (if
     (symbol? ast)         (env-get env ast)
-    (instance? Map ast)   (Map (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
+    (instance? dict ast)  (dict (map (fn [k]
+                                       [(EVAL k env) (EVAL (get ast k) env)])
+                                     ast))
     (instance? tuple ast) (tuple (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     (instance? list ast)  (list (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     True                  ast))
diff --git a/hy/step6_file.hy b/hy/step6_file.hy
index 735842cc5b..680a347928 100755
--- a/hy/step6_file.hy
+++ b/hy/step6_file.hy
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env hy
 
-(import [hy.models [HyDict :as Map HyString :as Str HySymbol :as Sym]])
+(import [hy.models [HyString :as Str HySymbol :as Sym]])
 (import sys traceback)
 (import [reader [read-str Blank]])
 (import [printer [pr-str]])
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
   ;;(print "eval-ast:" ast (type ast))
   (if
     (symbol? ast)         (env-get env ast)
-    (instance? Map ast)   (Map (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
+    (instance? dict ast)  (dict (map (fn [k]
+                                       [(EVAL k env) (EVAL (get ast k) env)])
+                                     ast))
     (instance? tuple ast) (tuple (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     (instance? list ast)  (list (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     True                  ast))
diff --git a/hy/step7_quote.hy b/hy/step7_quote.hy
index 74150467f8..17e6db7f1d 100755
--- a/hy/step7_quote.hy
+++ b/hy/step7_quote.hy
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env hy
 
-(import [hy.models [HyDict :as Map HyString :as Str HySymbol :as Sym]])
+(import [hy.models [HyString :as Str HySymbol :as Sym]])
 (import sys traceback)
 (import [reader [read-str Blank]])
 (import [printer [pr-str]])
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 ;; eval
 (defn pair? [x]
-  (and (coll? x) (> (len x) 0)))
+  (and (core.sequential? x) (> (len x) 0)))
 
 (defn QUASIQUOTE [ast]
   (if
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@
   ;;(print "eval-ast:" ast (type ast))
   (if
     (symbol? ast)         (env-get env ast)
-    (instance? Map ast)   (Map (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
+    (instance? dict ast)  (dict (map (fn [k]
+                                       [(EVAL k env) (EVAL (get ast k) env)])
+                                     ast))
     (instance? tuple ast) (tuple (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     (instance? list ast)  (list (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     True                  ast))
diff --git a/hy/step8_macros.hy b/hy/step8_macros.hy
index 5de0cc6254..740c751b80 100755
--- a/hy/step8_macros.hy
+++ b/hy/step8_macros.hy
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env hy
 
-(import [hy.models [HyDict :as Map HyString :as Str HySymbol :as Sym]])
+(import [hy.models [HyString :as Str HySymbol :as Sym]])
 (import sys traceback)
 (import [reader [read-str Blank]])
 (import [printer [pr-str]])
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 ;; eval
 (defn pair? [x]
-  (and (coll? x) (> (len x) 0)))
+  (and (core.sequential? x) (> (len x) 0)))
 
 (defn QUASIQUOTE [ast]
   (if
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@
   ;;(print "eval-ast:" ast (type ast))
   (if
     (symbol? ast)         (env-get env ast)
-    (instance? Map ast)   (Map (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
+    (instance? dict ast)  (dict (map (fn [k]
+                                       [(EVAL k env) (EVAL (get ast k) env)])
+                                     ast))
     (instance? tuple ast) (tuple (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     (instance? list ast)  (list (map (fn [x] (EVAL x env)) ast))
     True                  ast))