diff --git a/remix/stx0.rkt b/remix/stx0.rkt
index ca04bec..da740ce 100644
--- a/remix/stx0.rkt
+++ b/remix/stx0.rkt
@@ -180,30 +180,87 @@
           (remix-cut (#%dot bodies ...)))]))])
 
 ;; xxx actually implement cut with _ or $ as the var accessor
-(define-syntax-parameter remix-cut-$
-  (λ (stx)
-    (raise-syntax-error '$ "illegal outside of cut" stx)))
+(define-syntax-parameter remix-cut-box
+  #f)
+
+(begin-for-syntax
+  (struct remix-cut-box-st ([round-two? #:mutable] arg-n->id))
+  (define (argmax* f l)
+    (if (empty? l)
+        #f
+        (argmax f l)))
+  (define (remix-cut-box-st->args this-box the-stx-base)
+    (match-define (remix-cut-box-st _ arg-n->id) this-box)
+    (define max-arg-n
+      (argmax* (λ (x) x) (hash-keys arg-n->id)))
+    (printf "cut box -> args ~v\n" arg-n->id)
+    (cond
+      [max-arg-n
+       (for/list ([i (in-range (add1 max-arg-n))])
+         (printf "arg ~v is...\n" i)
+         (define nr (format-id the-stx-base "cut-arg~a" i))
+         (hash-set! arg-n->id i nr)
+         nr)]
+      [else
+       #'()]))
+       
+  (define (remix-cut-index->stx index-stx)
+    (match-define (remix-cut-box-st round-two? arg-n->id)
+      (syntax-parameter-value #'remix-cut-box))
+    (syntax-parse index-stx
+      ;; xxx support keywords, rest, etc
+      [n:nat
+       (let ()
+         (define nv (syntax->datum #'n))
+         (define nr
+           (hash-ref! arg-n->id nv
+                      (λ ()
+                        (printf "cut arg needed for index ~v\n" nv)
+                        #t)))
+         (cond
+           [round-two?
+            (printf "really using it ~v\n" nr)
+            nr]
+           [else
+            (printf "not using it ~v\n" nr)
+            #'(error 'cut)]))])))
+
+(define-syntax remix-cut-$
+  (singleton-struct
+   #:property prop:procedure
+   (λ (_ stx)
+     (syntax-parse stx
+       [$:id
+        (syntax/loc stx
+          (#%dot $ 0))]))
+   #:methods gen:dot-transformer
+   [(define (dot-transform _ stx)
+      (syntax-parse stx
+        [(#%dot $:id index:expr)
+         (quasisyntax/loc stx
+           #,(remix-cut-index->stx #'index))]
+        ;; xxx test this
+        [(#%dot $:id index:expr more:expr ...)
+         (quasisyntax/loc stx
+           (#%dot #,(remix-cut-index->stx #'index) more ...))]))]))
+
+(require (for-syntax (for-syntax racket/base)))
 (define-syntax (remix-cut stx)
   (syntax-parse stx
     [(_ body:expr)
      (let ()
+       (define this-box (remix-cut-box-st #f (make-hasheq)))
        (define cut-body-stx
-         (with-syntax ([this-$ (generate-temporary '$)])
-           (syntax/loc stx
-             (let-syntax ([this-$
-                           (λ (stx)
-                             (syntax-parse stx
-                               [$:id
-                                (syntax/loc stx
-                                  0)]))])
-               (syntax-parameterize ([remix-cut-$ (make-rename-transformer #'this-$)])
-                 body)))))
-       (define cut-body-estx
-         (local-expand cut-body-stx 'expression '()))
-       (define this-cut-args
-         '())
+         (quasisyntax/loc stx
+           (syntax-parameterize ([remix-cut-box #,this-box])
+             body)))
+       (local-expand cut-body-stx 'expression '())
+       (set-remix-cut-box-st-round-two?! this-box #t)
+       (define the-stx-base #'body)
+       (define cut-args (remix-cut-box-st->args this-box the-stx-base))
+       (printf "args are ~v\n" cut-args)
        (quasisyntax/loc stx
-         (remix-λ #,this-cut-args #,cut-body-estx)))]))
+         (remix-λ #,cut-args #,cut-body-stx)))]))
 
 (define-syntax (remix-cond stx)
   (syntax-parse stx
diff --git a/remix/tests/simple.rkt b/remix/tests/simple.rkt
index d95857f..084b337 100644
--- a/remix/tests/simple.rkt
+++ b/remix/tests/simple.rkt
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@
 (module+ test
   v11b)
 
-#;#;
 (def v11c
   (λ.(+ $ 1) 10))
 (module+ test