diff --git a/mode/perl.py b/mode/perl.py
index fb73c28..744ad90 100644
--- a/mode/perl.py
+++ b/mode/perl.py
@@ -49,14 +49,16 @@ def _make_string_rules(forbidden):
     rules = [
         PatternRule('octal', r'\\[0-7]{3}'),
         PatternRule('escaped', r'\\.'),
-        PatternRule('deref', r"\$+" + word2 + "(?:" + "(?:->)?{\$?(?:" +
+        PatternRule('perl.deref', r"\$+" + word2 + "(?:" + "(?:->)?{\$?(?:" +
                     hword + "|" + strg1 + "|" + strg2 + ")}|" +
                     "(?:->)?\[\$?"+hword+"\]"+ ")+"),
-        PatternRule('length', r"\$#" + word2),
-        PatternRule('scalar', r"\$\$*" + word2),
-        PatternRule('scalar', r"\$[0-9]+"),
-        PatternRule('cast', r"[\$\@\%\&]{.+?}"),
-        PatternRule('array', r"@\$*" + word2),
+        PatternRule('perl.length', r"\$#" + word2),
+        PatternRule('perl.array', r"\$\$*" + word2 + '(?= *\[)'),
+        PatternRule('perl.hash', r"\$\$*" + word2 + '(?= *\{)'),
+        PatternRule('perl.scalar', r"\$\$*" + word2),
+        PatternRule('perl.scalar', r"\$[0-9]+"),
+        PatternRule('perl.array', r"@\$*" + word2),
+        PatternRule('perl.hash', r"\%\$*" + word2),
     ]
     if forbidden == ')':
         rules.append(PatternRule('data', r"\([^$%@\(\)]*\)"))
@@ -136,17 +138,21 @@ class PerlGrammar(Grammar):
         RegionRule('perl.string', '"', StringGrammar, '"'),
         RegionRule('perl.string', "'", StrictStringGrammar, "'"),
         RegionRule('perl.evalstring', "`", EvalGrammar, "`"),
-        PatternRule('perl.keyword', "(?<!->)(?:STDIN|STDERR|STDOUT|continue|do|else|elsif|eval|foreach|for|if|last|my|next|no|our|package|require|return|sub|undef|unless|until|use|while)(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])"),
-        PatternRule('perl.hash_key', '(?<={)' + wchr2 + '+(?=})'),
+        PatternRule('perl.keyword', "(?<!->)(?:continue|do|else|elsif|eval|foreach|for|if|last|my|next|no|our|package|require|return|sub|undef|unless|until|use|while)(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])"),
+        PatternRule('perl.builtin', "(?<!->)(?:STDIN|STDERR|STDOUT)(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])"),
+        PatternRule('perl.hashkey', '(?<={)' + wchr2 + '+(?=})'),
         PatternRule('perl.method', '(?<=->)' + word1),
-        PatternRule('perl.hash_key', wchr2 + '+(?= *=>)'),
+        PatternRule('perl.hashkey', wchr2 + '+(?= *=>)'),
         PatternRule('perl.length', r"\$#" + word2),
-        PatternRule('perl.cast', r'[\$\@\%\&\*](?= *{)'),
+        #PatternRule('perl.cast', r'[\$\@\%\&\*](?= *{)'),
 
         PatternRule('perl.number', r'0[xX][0-9A-Fa-f]+'),
         PatternRule('perl.number', r'0?\.[0-9]+|[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?'),
 
         # built-in scalars
+        PatternRule('perl.array', r'\$' + word2 + '(?= *\[)'),
+        PatternRule('perl.hash', r'\$' + word2 + '(?= *\{)'),
+
         PatternRule('perl.scalar', r'\$[_ab&`\'\+\*\./|,\\";#\%=\-~\^:\?!@\$<>()\[\]](?!' + wchr2 + ')'),
         PatternRule('perl.scalar', r'\$\d+(?!' + wchr2 +')'),
         PatternRule('perl.scalar', r'\$\^(?:' + word1 + '|' + wchr1 + ')'),
@@ -158,12 +164,14 @@ class PerlGrammar(Grammar):
 
         PatternRule('perl.scalar', r"\$[\[\]<>ab/'\"_@\?#\$!%^|&*()](?!" +
                     wchr2 + ")"),
-        PatternRule('perl.array', "@_"),
+        PatternRule('perl.array', r"\@_"),
         PatternRule('perl.function', r"\$\$*" + word2 + "(?=-> *\()"),
         PatternRule('perl.scalar', r"\$[0-9]+"),
         PatternRule('perl.scalar', r"\$\$*" + word2),
-        PatternRule('perl.array', r"@\$*" + word2),
-        PatternRule('perl.hash', r"%\$*" + word2),
+        PatternRule('perl.array', r"\@(?= *{)"),
+        PatternRule('perl.array', r"\@\$*" + word2),
+        PatternRule('perl.hash', r"\%(?= *{)"),
+        PatternRule('perl.hash', r"\%\$*" + word2),
 
         # match regexes; paired delimiters
         RegionRule('perl.match', r'm *(?P<delim>\()',
@@ -217,6 +225,7 @@ class PerlGrammar(Grammar):
         PatternRule('perl.use', "(?<=no )" + word2),
         PatternRule('perl.require', "(?<=require )" + word2),
         PatternRule('perl.label', word1 + ':(?!:)'),
+        PatternRule('perl.function', r'&(?= *{)'),
         PatternRule('perl.function', r"&\$*" + word2),
         PatternRule('perl.builtin', "(?<!->)&?(?:write|warn|wantarray|waitpid|wait|vec|values|utime|use|untie|unshift|unpack|unlink|undef|umask|ucfirst|uc|truncate|times|time|tied|tie|telldir|tell|syswrite|system|sysseek|sysread|sysopen|syscall|symlink|substr|sub|study|stat|srand|sqrt|sprintf|split|splice|sort|socketpair|socket|sleep|sin|shutdown|shmwrite|shmread|shmget|shmctl|shift|setsockopt|setservent|setpwent|setprotoent|setpriority|setpgrp|setnetent|sethostent|setgrent|send|semop|semget|semctl|select|seekdir|seek|scalar|rmdir|rindex|rewinddir|reverse|return|reset|require|rename|ref|redo|recv|readpipe|readlink|readline|readdir|read|rand|quotemeta|push|prototype|printf|print|pos|pop|pipe|package|pack|our|ord|opendir|open|oct|no|next|my|msgsnd|msgrcv|msgget|msgctl|mkdir|map|lstat|log|lock|localtime|local|listen|link|length|lcfirst|lc|last|kill|keys|join|ioctl|int|index|import|hex|grep|goto|gmtime|glob|getsockopt|getsockname|getservent|getservbyport|getservbyname|getpwuid|getpwnam|getpwent|getprotoent|getprotobynumber|getprotobyname|getpriority|getppid|getpgrp|getpeername|getnetent|getnetbyname|getnetbyaddr|getlogin|gethostent|gethostbyname|gethostbyaddr|getgrnam|getgrgid|getgrent|getc|formline|format|fork|flock|fileno|fcntl|exp|exit|exists|exec|eval|eof|endservent|endpwent|endprotoent|endnetent|endhostent|endgrent|each|dump|do|die|delete|defined|dbmopen|dbmclose|crypt|cos|continue|connect|closedir|close|chroot|chr|chown|chop|chomp|chmod|chdir|caller|bless|binmode|bind|atan2|alarm|accept|abs)(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])"),
 
@@ -240,6 +249,7 @@ class PerlGrammar(Grammar):
         PatternRule('perl.function', word2 + r"(?= *\()"),
         PatternRule('perl.class', word2 + "(?=->)"),
 
+        PatternRule('perl.glob', r'\*(?= *{)'),
         PatternRule('perl.glob', r'(?:(?<=[^a-zA-Z0-9_])|(?<=^)) *\*' + word2),
 
         # some basic stuff
@@ -272,7 +282,7 @@ class PerlTabber(StackTabber2):
     end_free_tokens    = {'perl.string.end': 1,
                           'perl.pod.end': 1,
                           'perl.heredoc.end': 1,
-                          'perl.evaldoc.start': 1}
+                          'perl.evaldoc.end': 1}
 
 class PerlSetLib(Method):
     '''Set the path(s) to find perl modules'''
@@ -718,6 +728,32 @@ class PerlContext(context.Context):
             if curr: self.namelines[i] = (curr, tuple(stack))
             i += 1
 
+# green is for strings and hash keys
+low_green = ('green130', 'default', 'bold')
+lit_green = ('green251', 'default', 'bold')
+
+# cyan is for quotes, evals, regexes, subs
+low_cyan = ('cyan022', 'default', 'bold')
+med_cyan = ('cyan', 'default', 'bold')
+lit_cyan = ('cyan255', 'default', 'bold')
+
+# magenta is for keywords/builtins, translation, globs
+low_magenta = ('magenta424', 'default', 'bold')
+med_magenta = ('magenta', 'default', 'bold')
+lit_magenta = ('magenta515', 'default', 'bold')
+
+# yellow is for variables
+med_yellow = ('yellow', 'default', 'bold')
+lit_orange = ('yellow530', 'default', 'bold')
+med_orange = ('yellow520', 'default', 'bold')
+
+# red is for comments, pods, endblocks
+low_red = ('red300', 'default', 'bold')
+med_red = ('red', 'default', 'bold')
+lit_red = ('red500', 'default', 'bold')
+
+# blue is unused
+
 class Perl(Fundamental):
     name        = 'Perl'
     extensions  = ['.pl', '.pm', '.pod', '.t']
@@ -731,103 +767,103 @@ class Perl(Fundamental):
     closetags   = {')': '(', ']': '[', '}': '{'}
     colors      = {
         # comments
-        'endblock.start': ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'endblock.data':  ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'endblock.null':  ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'endblock.end':   ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'endblock.start': low_red,
+        'endblock.end':   lit_red,
+        'endblock.data':  lit_red,
+        'endblock.null':  lit_red,
 
         # pod
-        'pod.start':       ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'pod.null':        ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'pod.entry.start': ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'pod.entry.data':  ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'pod.entry.null':  ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'pod.entry.end':   ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'pod.end':         ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'pod.start':       med_red,
+        'pod.end':         med_red,
+        'pod.data':        med_red,
+        'pod.null':        med_red,
+        'pod.entry.start': med_magenta,
+        'pod.entry.end':   med_magenta,
+        'pod.entry.data':  med_magenta,
+        'pod.entry.null':  med_magenta,
         
         # basic stuff
-        'null':           ('default', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'sub':            ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'prototype':      ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'noperator':      ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'endblock':       ('red', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.keyword':   ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'cast':           ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'scalar':         ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'length':         ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'array':          ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'deref':          ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.hash':      ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'hash_key':       ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.method':    ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.function':  ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.builtin':   ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.label':     ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'package':        ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.class':     ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'use':            ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'require':        ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'perl.sub':      med_cyan,
+        'prototype':     med_yellow,
+        'noperator':     med_magenta,
+        'perl.keyword':  low_magenta,
+        'perl.builtin':  med_magenta,
+        #'perl.cast':     med_yellow,
+        'perl.scalar':   med_yellow,
+        'perl.length':   med_yellow,
+        'perl.deref':    med_yellow,
+        'perl.array':    lit_orange,
+        'perl.hash':     med_orange,
+        'perl.hashkey':  lit_green,
+        'perl.method':   med_cyan,
+        'perl.function': med_cyan,
+        'perl.builtin':  med_magenta,
+        'perl.label':    med_cyan,
+        'package':       med_cyan,
+        'perl.class':    med_cyan,
+        'perl.use':      med_cyan,
+        'perl.require':  med_cyan,
 
         # heredoc/evaldoc
-        'heredoc.start': ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'heredoc.data':  ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'heredoc.null':  ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'heredoc.end':   ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'evaldoc.start': ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'evaldoc.null':  ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'evaldoc.end':   ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'heredoc.start': low_green,
+        'heredoc.end':   low_green,
+        'heredoc.data':  lit_green,
+        'heredoc.null':  lit_green,
+
+        'evaldoc.start': low_cyan,
+        'evaldoc.end':   low_cyan,
+        'evaldoc.data':  lit_cyan,
+        'evaldoc.null':  lit_cyan,
         
         # strings
-        'perl.string.start':   ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.string.null':    ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.string.escaped': ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.string.deref':   ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.string.end':     ('green', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'perl.string.start':   low_green,
+        'perl.string.end':     low_green,
+        'perl.string.data':    lit_green,
+        'perl.string.null':    lit_green,
+        'perl.string.escaped': med_magenta,
+        'perl.string.deref':   med_yellow,
         
         # `` strings
-        'evalstring.start':   ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'evalstring.null':    ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'evalstring.escaped': ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'evalstring.deref':   ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'evalstring.end':     ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'evalstring.start':   low_cyan,
+        'evalstring.end':     low_cyan,
+        'evalstring.data':    lit_cyan,
+        'evalstring.null':    lit_cyan,
+        'evalstring.escaped': med_magenta,
+        'evalstring.deref':   med_yellow,
         
         # quoted region
-        'perl.quoted':         ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.quoted.start':   ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.quoted.null':    ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.quoted.data':    ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.quoted.escaped': ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.quoted.deref':   ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'perl.quoted.end':     ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'perl.quoted.start':   low_cyan,
+        'perl.quoted.end':     low_cyan,
+        'perl.quoted.data':    lit_cyan,
+        'perl.quoted.null':    lit_cyan,
+        'perl.quoted.escaped': med_magenta,
+        'perl.quoted.deref':   med_yellow,
         
         # match regex
-        'match.start': ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'match.end':   ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'match.data':  ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'match.null':  ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'match.start': low_cyan,
+        'match.end':   low_cyan,
+        'match.data':  lit_cyan,
+        'match.null':  lit_cyan,
         
         # replace regex
-        'replace.start':     ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'replace.middle0':   ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'replace.middle1':   ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'replace.end':       ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'replace.data':      ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'replace.null':      ('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'replace.escaped':   ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'replace.deref':     ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'replace.length':    ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'replace.scalar':    ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'replace.perl.hash': ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'replace.cast':      ('yellow', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'replace.start':     low_cyan,
+        'replace.middle0':   low_cyan,
+        'replace.middle1':   low_cyan,
+        'replace.end':       low_cyan,
+        'replace.data':      lit_cyan,
+        'replace.null':      lit_cyan,
+        'replace.escaped':   med_magenta,
+        'replace.deref':     med_yellow,
         
         # translate regex
-        'translate.start':   ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'translate.middle0': ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'translate.end':     ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
-        'translate.null':    ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'translate.start':   low_magenta,
+        'translate.middle0': low_magenta,
+        'translate.end':     low_magenta,
+        'translate.data':    lit_magenta,
+        'translate.null':    lit_magenta,
 
         # xyz
-        'perl.glob': ('magenta', 'default', 'bold'),
+        'perl.glob': med_magenta,
     }
     config  = {}
     lconfig = {'perl.libs': []}