diff --git a/home/zshrc b/home/zshrc
index ec504e8..efde2b4 100644
--- a/home/zshrc
+++ b/home/zshrc
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ autoload history-search-end
 zmodload zsh/mathfunc
 
 function {
-    local a b
+    local a= b=
 
     # combine everything matching "YES_ZSH" in ~/sh/ into ~/.sh,
     # but only recompile the output if the sha1sum has changed.
diff --git a/sh/archive b/sh/archive
index 9f56e7e..e9650cd 100755
--- a/sh/archive
+++ b/sh/archive
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ archive() {
     #   Matt Hamilton <m@tthamilton.com>
     #
 
-    local archive_name path_to_archive _gzip_bin _bzip2_bin _xz_bin _zstd_bin
+    local archive_name= path_to_archive= _gzip_bin= _bzip2_bin= _xz_bin= _zstd_bin=
 
     if (( $# < 2 )); then
         cat >&2 <<EOF
diff --git a/sh/busiest b/sh/busiest
index 1e2ee66..02ee2a6 100755
--- a/sh/busiest
+++ b/sh/busiest
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ busiest() { ### @-
     ### 21042 play
     ### ```
     [ $# -le 0 ] || { printf "%s\n" "$0: too many arguments" >&2; return 1; }
-    local c d
+    local c= d=
     for d in *(FDN); do
         print $(find $d 2>/dev/null | wc -l) $d
     done | sort -nr | while read c d; do
diff --git a/sh/compile b/sh/compile
index c5c2ebb..693f543 100755
--- a/sh/compile
+++ b/sh/compile
@@ -90,18 +90,17 @@ compile() { ### @-
     local clang="$(whence -p clang 2>/dev/null)"
     local clang_flags=() # currently just for clang-msvc
 
-    local cl
-    local vc
+    local cl= vc=
     if [ -n "$MSYSTEM" ]; then # using msys2?
         if [ -z "$clang" ]; then # don't have native clang?
             # then maybe we have clang-msvc installed.
-            local dir
+            local dir=
             printf "%s\n" "/c/Program Files/LLVM"*(On/N[1]) | read -r dir
             if [ -d "$dir" ] && [ -e "$dir/bin/clang" ]; then
                 clang="$dir/bin/clang"
 
                 # not sure if i'll need this:
-                #local clang_include
+                #local clang_include=
                 #printf "%s\n" "$dir/lib/clang/"*(On/N[1]) | read -r clang_include
                 #[ -n "$clang_include" ] || { echo "failed glob; missing clang include" >&2; return 1 }
                 #clang_flags+=(-I"$clang_include/include")
@@ -110,7 +109,7 @@ compile() { ### @-
             fi
         fi
 
-        local winkit
+        local winkit=
         printf "%s\n" "/c/Program Files (x86)/Windows Kits/"*(on/N[1]) | read -r winkit
         [ -z "$winkit" ] || printf "%s\n" "$winkit/Lib/"*(On/N[1]) | read -r winkit
 
@@ -119,9 +118,7 @@ compile() { ### @-
             :
         else
             # detect MSVC.
-            local clarch
-            local arch
-            local msvc_dig_deep
+            local clarch= arch= msvc_dig_deep=
             [ "$MSYSTEM" = MINGW64 ] && clarch="/amd64" || clarch=""
             [ "$MSYSTEM" = MINGW64 ] && arch="x64" || arch="x86"
             if [ -d "/c/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio" ]; then # 2017+
@@ -179,9 +176,9 @@ compile() { ### @-
     fi
 
     # set some defaults.
-    local sepples=0
-    [ -n "$clang" ] && local CC=clang || local CC=gcc
-    [ -n "$clang" ] && local CXX=clang++ || local CXX=g++
+    local sepples=0 CC= CXX=
+    [ -n "$clang" ] && CC=clang || CC=gcc
+    [ -n "$clang" ] && CXX=clang++ || CXX=g++
     local our_flags=(-I.)
 
     # guess if we're compiling C++ by the file extension.
@@ -263,10 +260,11 @@ compile() { ### @-
         fi
     fi
 
+    local gold=
     # utilize clang's vast debugging and hardening features where available.
     if [ $CC = clang ]; then
         debug_flags+=(-ftrapv)
-        [ -z "$MSYSTEM" ] && local gold=gold || local gold=lld
+        [ -z "$MSYSTEM" ] && gold=gold || gold=lld
         [ -n "$MSYSTEM" ] && our_flags+=(-fansi-escape-codes) || true
         if [ $clang_msvc -eq 1 ] || [ -z "$MSYSTEM" ]; then
             debug_flags+=(-fsanitize=undefined) # this SHOULD work with mingw,
@@ -302,9 +300,7 @@ compile() { ### @-
     # allow multiple source files (using the firstmost to determine the program name)
     # by generating a file that #includes each given file.
 
-    local final_flags=()
-    local libraries=()
-    local warnings=()
+    local final_flags=() libraries=() warnings=()
     for flag in $our_flags $flags; do
         # move -l flags to the end because gcc won't respect them otherwise.
         if [[ $flag == -l* ]]; then
diff --git a/sh/document b/sh/document
index f9315c1..bf9f98d 100755
--- a/sh/document
+++ b/sh/document
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ document2() {
         esac
 
         if [ -n "$n" ]; then
-            local url
+            local url=
             # different subdirs need to be handled differently:
             [ "$f" != "${f#sh/}" ] && url="/sh/${f#sh/}#L$c" || url="/home/${f#.}#L$c"
             if [ "$n" = "$e" ]; then
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ document1() {
     # create new output file (with a tilde as not to overwrite just yet):
     : > "$out" || return 4
 
-    local line
+    local line=
 
     if [ -f "$in_" ]; then
         # copy existing lines up to (and including) the "DOCUMENT" marker:
diff --git a/sh/lsarchive b/sh/lsarchive
index 043f75c..a42861d 100755
--- a/sh/lsarchive
+++ b/sh/lsarchive
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ lsarchive() {
     #   Sorin Ionescu <sorin.ionescu@gmail.com>
     #
 
-    local verbose
+    local verbose=
 
     if (( $# == 0 )); then
         cat >&2 <<EOF
diff --git a/sh/maybesudo b/sh/maybesudo
index 9bf2b58..815cb40 100755
--- a/sh/maybesudo
+++ b/sh/maybesudo
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ maybesudo_() { ### @-
     ### as it stands, this mostly just handles some environment variables.
     ###
     ### try this: `maybesudo_ -u "$USER" printenv`
-    local name
+    local name=
     local env_cleanup=0
     while getopts :AEHKPSVbhiklnsvC:U:g:p:r:t:u: name; do
         case $name in
@@ -82,8 +82,10 @@ maybesudo_() { ### @-
             # just export the bare minimum that a fairly stock sudo would.
 
             # $path is special in zsh, so call it pathy instead.
-            local colors display dpkg_colors home hostname krb5ccname \
-                ls_colors pathy ps1 ps2 user username xauthority xauthorization
+            local \
+                colors= display= dpkg_colors= home= hostname= krb5ccname= \
+                ls_colors= pathy= ps1= ps2= user= username= xauthority= \
+                xauthorization=
 
             [ -z "$COLORS" ] || colors=COLORS="$COLORS"
             [ -z "$DISPLAY" ] || display=DISPLAY="$DISPLAY"
diff --git a/sh/minutemaid b/sh/minutemaid
index 535e009..c757034 100755
--- a/sh/minutemaid
+++ b/sh/minutemaid
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ minutemaid() { ### @-
     ### echo this will never happen
     ### ```
 
-    local offset=0 name
+    local offset=0 name=
     while getopts 'o:h' name; do
         case $name in
         o)  offset="$OPTARG";;
diff --git a/sh/unarchive b/sh/unarchive
index 4656712..493c6fc 100755
--- a/sh/unarchive
+++ b/sh/unarchive
@@ -12,12 +12,12 @@ unarchive() {
     #   Sorin Ionescu <sorin.ionescu@gmail.com>
     #
 
-    local remove_archive
-    local success
-    local file_name
-    local file_path
-    local extract_dir
-    local _gzip_bin _bzip2_bin _xz_bin _zstd_bin
+    local remove_archive=
+    local success=
+    local file_name=
+    local file_path=
+    local extract_dir=
+    local _gzip_bin= _bzip2_bin= _xz_bin= _zstd_bin=
 
     if (( $# == 0 )); then
         cat >&2 <<EOF