diff --git a/application.py b/application.py
index 77afb2b..74de7b8 100755
--- a/application.py
+++ b/application.py
@@ -463,6 +463,8 @@ class Application(object):
         if switch_to:
             self.switch_buffer(b)
         return b
+    # NOTE: make sure that data has escaped \, [, and ] properly, or else you
+    #       will get undesirable results
     def color_data_buffer(self, name, data, switch_to=True, modename='colortext'):
         if self.has_buffer_name(name):
             b = self.bufferlist.buffer_names[name]
diff --git a/term.py b/term.py
index 479e8f8..cd43a4c 100644
--- a/term.py
+++ b/term.py
@@ -22,7 +22,12 @@ cbuffer_map = {
     'yellow':  'y',
 }
 def make_cbuf(fg, bg, xt):
-    #return '[%r, %r, %r]' % (fg, bg, xt)
+    if 'bold' in xt and fg == 'default': fg = 'cyan'
+    if 'italic' in xt and fg == 'default': fg = 'yellow'
+    if 'underline' in xt and fg == 'default': fg = 'green'
+    if 'inverse' in xt and fg == 'default': fg = 'magenta'
+    if 'strike' in xt and fg == 'default': fg = 'red'
+
     if 'bold' in xt:
         return '[%s:%s:*]' % (cbuffer_map[fg], cbuffer_map[bg])
     else:
@@ -92,6 +97,9 @@ class Dumb:
         elif n == 127:
             self.term_do_delete()
     def term_handle_print(self, c):
+        if self.cbuf:
+            if c in ('\\', '[', ']'):
+                self._term_insert('\\')
         self._term_insert(c)
     def term_handle_8bit(self, c):
         pass
@@ -183,15 +191,20 @@ class XTerm(Dumb):
                 m = self.str_re.match(field)
                 assert m, "huh?? %r" % field
                 name, val = m.groups()
-                if len(val) > 3 and val[:2] == '\\E[' and val[3] in '0123456789':
+                if len(val) > 3 and val[:3] == '\\E[' and val[3] in '0123456789':
                     continue
                 elif val.startswith('\\E'):
+                    #if val == '\\E[1m':
+                    #    raise Exception("NONONONO")
                     self.sequences[val.replace('\\E', '\033')] = name
         f.close()
 
     def parse_style(self, s):
         # starts with '\033[' and ends with 'm'
         s2 = s[2:-1]
+        #if s not in ('\x1b[0m', '\x1b[22m'):
+        #    raise Exception('argh: %r' % s)
+
         if s2 == '':
             l = ['0']
         else: