diff --git a/sh/argc b/sh/argc
index ae21c27..d8d77e8 100755
--- a/sh/argc
+++ b/sh/argc
@@ -6,53 +6,58 @@
 
 argc() { ### @- validate the number of arguments in a function.
     ### ```sh
-    ### # usage: myfunc() { argc -(eq|le|ge) [0-9] "$0" "$@" || return; }
+    ### # usage: myfunc() { argc $# -(eq|le|ge) [0-9] "$0" || return; }
     ###
     ### myfunc() {
     ###     # use one of the following:
-    ###     argc -eq N "$0" "$@" || return
-    ###     argc -le N "$0" "$@" || return
-    ###     argc -ge N "$0" "$@" || return
+    ###     argc $# -eq N "$0" || return
+    ###     argc $# -le N "$0" || return
+    ###     argc $# -ge N "$0" || return
     ###     # where N is an integer between 0 and 9.
     ### }
     ### ```
 
-#   local usage='usage: myfunc() { %s -(eq|lt|gt|le|ge) [0-9] "$0" "$@" || return; }\n'
-    local usage='usage: myfunc() { %s -(eq|le|ge) [0-9] "$0" "$@" || return; }\n'
+    local usage='usage: myfunc() { %s $# -(eq|le|ge) [0-9] "$0" || return; }\n'
 
     # note that $zero can be empty, but must be set.
-    if [ $# -lt 3 ] || [ -z "$1" ] || [ -z "$2" ] || [ "${3+x}" != x ]; then
+    if [ $# -ne 4 ] || [ -z "$1" ] || [ -z "$2" ] || [ -z "$3" ]; then
         printf "$usage" argc >&2
         return 2
     fi
 
+    local argc="$1"; shift
     local cond="$1"; shift
     local want="$1"; shift
     local zero="$1"; shift
     local many='' plural=''
     [ "$want" = 1 ] || plural='s'
 
+    if [ "$argc" != "${argc%%[!0-9]*}" ]; then
+        printf "$usage" argc >&2
+        return 2
+    fi
+
     case "$cond" in
-    '-eq') many='exactly';;
-#   '-lt') many='fewer than';;
-#   '-gt') many='more than';;
-    '-le') many='at most';;
-    '-ge') many='at least';;
-    *)
+    ('-eq') many='exactly';;
+    ('-le') many='at most';;
+    ('-ge') many='at least';;
+    (*)
         printf "$usage" argc >&2
         return 2;;
     esac
 
     case "$want" in
-    [0-9]) :;; # no error, continue.
-    *)
+    ([0-9]) :;; # no error, continue.
+    (*)
         printf "$usage" argc >&2
         return 2;;
     esac
 
-    if [ ! $# "$cond" "$want" ]; then
+    if [ "$argc" "$cond" "$want" ] 2>/dev/null; then
+        :
+    else
         local err="expected $many $want argument$plural, got"
-        printf '%s: %s %s\n' "$zero" "$err" "$#" >&2
+        printf '%s: %s %s\n' "$zero" "$err" "$argc" >&2
         return 1
     fi
 
diff --git a/sh/baknow b/sh/baknow
index ed19a01..6041132 100755
--- a/sh/baknow
+++ b/sh/baknow
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ baknow() { ### @- backup files by appending their timestamps given by [`now`.](#
     ### -rw-r--r-- 1 notwa None 0 Dec 25  2001 butts
     ### -rw-r--r-- 1 notwa None 0 Dec 25  2001 butts.2001-12-26_01800000.bak
     ### ```
-    argc -ge 1 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -ge 1 "$0" || return
     local ret=0
     for f; do
         cp -ip "$f" "$f.$(now "$f").bak" || ret=1
diff --git a/sh/cutv b/sh/cutv
index 38bc316..3a062db 100755
--- a/sh/cutv
+++ b/sh/cutv
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
 cutv() { ### @-
     ### (WIP) create a short clip of a long video file.
 
-    argc -ge 2 "$0" "$@" || return
-    argc -le 4 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -ge 2 "$0" || return
+    argc $# -le 4 "$0" || return
     local nel="${1?missing length parameter}"
     local f="${2?missing file parameter}"
     local g="cut."${${f##*/}%.*}".mp4"
diff --git a/sh/stfu b/sh/stfu
index fa03c11..eb102ef 100755
--- a/sh/stfu
+++ b/sh/stfu
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ stfu() { ### @-
     ###
     ###
     ### ```
-    argc -ge 1 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -ge 1 "$0" || return
 
     local dirty=0 temp="$STFU_DIR"
     if [ -z "$temp" ]; then
diff --git a/sh/streamcrap b/sh/streamcrap
index f86e61c..48088eb 100644
--- a/sh/streamcrap
+++ b/sh/streamcrap
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ mpvs() { ### @- invoke mpv with some extra flags suited for streamed sources.
 }
 
 getladspa() {
-    argc -eq 1 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -eq 1 "$0" || return
     printf '%s' volume
     if [ -e "/usr/lib/ladspa/${1}.so" ]; then
         printf '%s' "ladspa=f=${1}:p=${1}"
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ _M_DANNY="$_M_PRE_EMPH,alimiter,dynaudnorm=f=400:g=5:p=1:m=32:r=0.1:c=1:s=9:t=0.
 _M_LEVEL="$(getladspa crap_level)"
 
 earphones() {
-    argc -eq 0 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -eq 0 "$0" || return
     _M_PROCESS="lowpass=8000:p=1,$_M_KILL,alimiter=level_out=0.707"
 }
 
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ case "$(uname -n | tr A-Z a-z)" in
 
     neobanshee)
         speakers() {
-            argc -eq 0 "$0" "$@" || return
+            argc $# -eq 0 "$0" || return
             _M_PROCESS="highpass=311,$_M_KILL,$_M_NEO,alimiter=level_in=2"
         }
         speakers
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ case "$(uname -n | tr A-Z a-z)" in
     banshee)
         _M_SPEAKERS="$(getladspa crap_eq_const_T420)"
         speakers() {
-            argc -eq 0 "$0" "$@" || return
+            argc $# -eq 0 "$0" || return
             _M_PROCESS="$_M_LEVEL,$_M_SPEAKERS,alimiter=level_in=0.5"
         }
         speakers
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ esac
 
 mpv_watch() { ### @-
     ### play some media in mpv with a bunch of unnecessary filters.
-    argc -ge 1 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -ge 1 "$0" || return
     pushd ~/play >/dev/null
     local url="$1"; shift
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ mpv_watch() { ### @-
 
 mpv_stream() { ### @-
     ### watch a stream in mpv with a bunch of unnecessary filters.
-    argc -ge 1 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -ge 1 "$0" || return
     pushd ~/play >/dev/null
     local url="$1"; shift
     mpvs --af=lavfi="[$_M_PROCESS]" "$@" -- "$url"
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ mpv_stream() { ### @-
 
 twitch() { ### @-
     ### watch a twitch stream in mpv with a bunch of unnecessary filters.
-    argc -ge 1 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -ge 1 "$0" || return
     local user="$1"; shift
     mpv_stream "http://twitch.tv/$user" "$@"
 }
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ yt() { ### @-
     ###
     ### **NOTE:** there also exists a yt(1) program provided by
     ### the *python3-yt* package that i don't use.
-    argc -ge 1 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -ge 1 "$0" || return
     local vid="$1"; shift
     [ -e "$vid" ] || [ "$vid" != "${vid#http}" ] || vid="ytdl://$vid"
     mpv_watch "$vid" "$@"
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ yt() { ### @-
 
 ytg() { # @-
     # watch a youtube video. like `yt`, but with a preference for different formats.
-    argc -ge 1 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -ge 1 "$0" || return
     local vid="$1"; shift
     # --ytdl-format=22/95/300/best 
     yt "$vid" "$@"
@@ -127,26 +127,26 @@ ytg() { # @-
 ytll() { ### @-
     ### watch a stream from youtube in mpv, etcetera etcetera.
     ### this is the low latency version that does not support seeking.
-    argc -ge 1 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -ge 1 "$0" || return
     youtube-dl -q -f best "$1" -o - | mpv_stream - --no-ytdl
 }
 
 ytgll() { # @-
     # watch a stream from youtube in mpv. like `ytll`, but with a preference for different formats.
-    argc -ge 1 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -ge 1 "$0" || return
     youtube-dl -q -f 22/95/300/best "$1" -o - | mpv_stream - --no-ytdl
 }
 
 ai() { # @-
     # hai domo!
-    argc -ge 1 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -ge 1 "$0" || return
     yt "$@" --slang=en --sub-font='Tekton Pro' --sub-bold=yes \
       --sub-font-size=60 --sub-border-color='#DD6180' --sub-margin-y=52
 }
 
 asmr() { # @-
     # for your aural pleasure.
-    argc -ge 1 "$0" "$@" || return
+    argc $# -ge 1 "$0" || return
     # --ytdl-format=251/300/best
     _M_PROCESS="acompressor=threshold=0.001:ratio=1.33:attack=900:release=6000:makeup=6:knee=8:mix=0.9,alimiter" \
       yt "$@" --volume=90