diff --git a/docs/reference.md b/docs/reference.md
index c8f7f14..35cd4fa 100644
--- a/docs/reference.md
+++ b/docs/reference.md
@@ -644,6 +644,35 @@ Or...
 
     me = create_person "Leaf", {dad, mother, sister}
 
+## Function Stubs
+
+It is common to pass a function from an object around as a value, for example,
+passing an instance method into a function as a callback. If the function
+expects the object it is operating on as the first argument then you must
+somehow bundle that object with the function so it can be called properly.
+
+The function stub syntax is a shorthand for creating a new closure function
+that bundles both the object and function. This new function calls the wrapped
+function in the correct context of the object.
+
+Its syntax is the same as calling an instance method with the `\` operator but
+with no argument list provided.
+
+    my_object = {
+      value: 1000
+      print: => print "the value:", @value
+    }
+
+    run_callback (func) ->
+      print "running callback..."
+      func!
+
+    -- this will not work, the function has to no reference to my_object
+    run_callback my_object.print
+
+    -- function stub syntax lets us bundle the object into a new function
+    run_callback my_object\print
+
 ## The Using Clause; Controlling Destructive Assignment
 
 While lexical scoping can be a great help in reducing the complexity of the
diff --git a/moonscript/compile.lua b/moonscript/compile.lua
index 502d303..06c2183 100644
--- a/moonscript/compile.lua
+++ b/moonscript/compile.lua
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ local dump = require("moonscript.dump")
 require("moonscript.compile.format")
 require("moonscript.compile.line")
 require("moonscript.compile.value")
+local transform = require("moonscript.transform")
+local NameProxy = transform.NameProxy
 local Set
 do
   local _table_0 = require("moonscript.data")
@@ -114,9 +116,20 @@ Block_ = (function(_parent_0)
           local _item_0 = names
           for _index_0 = 1, #_item_0 do
             local name = _item_0[_index_0]
-            if type(name) == "string" and not self:has_name(name) then
+            local t = util.moon.type(name)
+            local real_name
+            if t == NameProxy then
+              real_name = name:get_name(self)
+            elseif t == "string" then
+              real_name = name
+            end
+            local _value_0
+            if real_name and not self:has_name(real_name) then
+              _value_0 = real_name
+            end
+            if _value_0 ~= nil then
               _len_0 = _len_0 + 1
-              _accum_0[_len_0] = name
+              _accum_0[_len_0] = _value_0
             end
           end
         end
@@ -135,6 +148,9 @@ Block_ = (function(_parent_0)
       self._name_whitelist = Set(names)
     end,
     put_name = function(self, name)
+      if util.moon.type(name) == NameProxy then
+        name = name:get_name(self)
+      end
       self._names[name] = true
     end,
     has_name = function(self, name)
@@ -318,6 +334,7 @@ Block_ = (function(_parent_0)
       if not fn then
         error("Failed to compile value: " .. dump.value(node))
       end
+      node = transform.node(node)
       return fn(self, node, ...)
     end,
     values = function(self, values, delim)
diff --git a/moonscript/compile.moon b/moonscript/compile.moon
index e1fe92d..035e625 100644
--- a/moonscript/compile.moon
+++ b/moonscript/compile.moon
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ require "moonscript.compile.format"
 require "moonscript.compile.line"
 require "moonscript.compile.value"
 
+transform = require "moonscript.transform"
+
+import NameProxy from transform
 import Set from require "moonscript.data"
 import ntype from require "moonscript.types"
 
@@ -74,7 +77,14 @@ class Block_
     @_state[name]
 
   declare: (names) =>
-    undeclared = [name for name in *names when type(name) == "string" and not @has_name name]
+    undeclared = for name in *names
+      t = util.moon.type(name)
+      real_name = if t == NameProxy
+        name\get_name self
+      elseif t == "string"
+        name
+      real_name if real_name and not @has_name real_name
+
     @put_name name for name in *undeclared
     undeclared
 
@@ -82,6 +92,7 @@ class Block_
     @_name_whitelist = Set names
 
   put_name: (name) =>
+    name = name\get_name self if util.moon.type(name) == NameProxy
     @_names[name] = true
 
   has_name: (name) =>
@@ -218,6 +229,7 @@ class Block_
 
     fn = value_compile[action]
     error "Failed to compile value: "..dump.value node if not fn
+    node = transform.node node
     fn self, node, ...
 
   values: (values, delim) =>
diff --git a/moonscript/compile/value.lua b/moonscript/compile/value.lua
index 934ab5f..2ae27f5 100644
--- a/moonscript/compile/value.lua
+++ b/moonscript/compile/value.lua
@@ -368,6 +368,9 @@ value_compile = {
   minus = function(self, node)
     return self:line("-", self:value(node[2]))
   end,
+  temp_name = function(self, node)
+    return node:get_name(self)
+  end,
   number = function(self, node)
     return node[2]
   end,
diff --git a/moonscript/compile/value.moon b/moonscript/compile/value.moon
index 62048f1..60e76cd 100644
--- a/moonscript/compile/value.moon
+++ b/moonscript/compile/value.moon
@@ -197,6 +197,9 @@ value_compile =
   minus: (node) =>
     @line "-", @value node[2]
 
+  temp_name: (node) =>
+    node\get_name self
+
   number: (node) =>
     node[2]
 
diff --git a/moonscript/transform.lua b/moonscript/transform.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d790248
--- /dev/null
+++ b/moonscript/transform.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+module("moonscript.transform", package.seeall)
+local types = require("moonscript.types")
+local util = require("moonscript.util")
+local data = require("moonscript.data")
+local ntype, build = types.ntype, types.build
+NameProxy = (function(_parent_0)
+  local _base_0 = {
+    get_name = function(self, scope)
+      if not self.name then
+        self.name = scope:free_name(self.prefix, true)
+      end
+      return self.name
+    end,
+    __tostring = function(self)
+      if self.name then
+        return ("name<%s>"):format(self.name)
+      else
+        return ("name<prefix(%s)>"):format(self.prefix)
+      end
+    end
+  }
+  _base_0.__index = _base_0
+  if _parent_0 then
+    setmetatable(_base_0, getmetatable(_parent_0).__index)
+  end
+  local _class_0 = setmetatable({
+    __init = function(self, prefix)
+      self.prefix = prefix
+      self[1] = "temp_name"
+    end
+  }, {
+    __index = _base_0,
+    __call = function(mt, ...)
+      local self = setmetatable({}, _base_0)
+      mt.__init(self, ...)
+      return self
+    end
+  })
+  _base_0.__class = _class_0
+  return _class_0
+end)()
+local transformers = {
+  chain = function(node)
+    local stub = node[#node]
+    if type(stub) == "table" and stub[1] == "colon_stub" then
+      table.remove(node, #node)
+      local base_name = NameProxy("base")
+      local fn_name = NameProxy("fn")
+      return build.block_exp({
+        build.assign({
+          names = {
+            base_name
+          },
+          values = {
+            node
+          }
+        }),
+        build.assign({
+          names = {
+            fn_name
+          },
+          values = {
+            build.chain({
+              base = base_name,
+              {
+                "dot",
+                stub[2]
+              }
+            })
+          }
+        }),
+        build.fndef({
+          args = {
+            {
+              "..."
+            }
+          },
+          body = {
+            build.chain({
+              base = fn_name,
+              {
+                "call",
+                {
+                  base_name,
+                  "..."
+                }
+              }
+            })
+          }
+        })
+      })
+    end
+  end
+}
+node = function(n)
+  local transformer = transformers[ntype(n)]
+  if transformer then
+    return transformer(n) or n
+  else
+    return n
+  end
+end
diff --git a/moonscript/transform.moon b/moonscript/transform.moon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ed1256
--- /dev/null
+++ b/moonscript/transform.moon
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+
+module "moonscript.transform", package.seeall
+
+types = require "moonscript.types"
+util = require "moonscript.util"
+data = require "moonscript.data"
+
+import ntype, build from types
+
+export node, NameProxy
+
+class NameProxy
+  new: (@prefix) =>
+    self[1] = "temp_name"
+
+  get_name: (scope) =>
+    if not @name
+      @name = scope\free_name @prefix, true
+    @name
+
+  __tostring: =>
+    if @name
+      ("name<%s>")\format @name
+    else
+      ("name<prefix(%s)>")\format @prefix
+
+transformers = {
+  -- pull out colon chain
+  chain: (node) ->
+    stub = node[#node]
+    if type(stub) == "table" and stub[1] == "colon_stub"
+      table.remove node, #node
+
+      base_name = NameProxy "base"
+      fn_name = NameProxy "fn"
+
+      build.block_exp {
+        build.assign {
+          names: {base_name}
+          values: {node}
+        }
+
+        build.assign {
+          names: {fn_name}
+          values: {
+            build.chain { base: base_name, {"dot", stub[2]} }
+          }
+        }
+
+        build.fndef {
+          args: {{"..."}}
+          body: {
+            build.chain {
+              base: fn_name, {"call", {base_name, "..."}}
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+}
+
+node = (n) ->
+  transformer = transformers[ntype n]
+  if transformer
+    transformer(n) or n
+  else
+    n
+
+
diff --git a/moonscript/types.lua b/moonscript/types.lua
index 1cfe58b..0436263 100644
--- a/moonscript/types.lua
+++ b/moonscript/types.lua
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 module("moonscript.types", package.seeall)
 local util = require("moonscript.util")
 local data = require("moonscript.data")
+local insert = table.insert
 ntype = function(node)
   if type(node) ~= "table" then
     return "value"
@@ -27,6 +28,16 @@ local node_types = {
       "body",
       t
     }
+  },
+  assign = {
+    {
+      "names",
+      t
+    },
+    {
+      "values",
+      t
+    }
   }
 }
 local build_table
@@ -57,11 +68,10 @@ make_builder = function(name)
       name
     }
     for i, arg in ipairs(spec) do
-      local default_value
-      name, default_value = unpack(arg)
+      local key, default_value = unpack(arg)
       local val
-      if props[name] then
-        val = props[name]
+      if props[key] then
+        val = props[key]
       else
         val = default_value
       end
@@ -73,7 +83,39 @@ make_builder = function(name)
     return node
   end
 end
-build = setmetatable({ }, {
+build = nil
+build = setmetatable({
+  block_exp = function(body)
+    local fn = build.fndef({
+      body = body
+    })
+    return build.chain({
+      base = {
+        "parens",
+        fn
+      },
+      {
+        "call",
+        { }
+      }
+    })
+  end,
+  chain = function(parts)
+    local base = parts.base or error("expecting base property for chain")
+    local node = {
+      "chain",
+      base
+    }
+    do
+      local _item_0 = parts
+      for _index_0 = 1, #_item_0 do
+        local part = _item_0[_index_0]
+        insert(node, part)
+      end
+    end
+    return node
+  end
+}, {
   __index = function(self, name)
     self[name] = make_builder(name)
     return rawget(self, name)
diff --git a/moonscript/types.moon b/moonscript/types.moon
index 84df9f1..e817ff0 100644
--- a/moonscript/types.moon
+++ b/moonscript/types.moon
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ util = require "moonscript.util"
 data = require "moonscript.data"
 
 export ntype, smart_node, build
+import insert from table
+
 
 -- type of node as string
 ntype = (node) ->
@@ -20,6 +22,10 @@ node_types = {
     {"arrow", "slim"}
     {"body", t}
   }
+  assign: {
+    {"names", t}
+    {"values", t}
+  }
 }
 
 build_table =  ->
@@ -41,13 +47,24 @@ make_builder = (name) ->
   (props={}) ->
     node = { name }
     for i, arg in ipairs spec
-      name, default_value = unpack arg
-      val = if props[name] then props[name] else default_value
+      key, default_value = unpack arg
+      val = if props[key] then props[key] else default_value
       val = {} if val == t
       node[i + 1] = val
     node
 
-build = setmetatable {}, {
+build = nil
+build = setmetatable {
+  block_exp: (body) ->
+    fn = build.fndef body: body
+    build.chain { base: {"parens", fn}, {"call", {}} }
+  chain: (parts) ->
+    base = parts.base or error"expecting base property for chain"
+    node = {"chain", base}
+    for part in *parts
+      insert node, part
+    node
+}, {
   __index: (name) =>
     self[name] = make_builder name
     rawget self, name
diff --git a/tests/inputs/stub.moon b/tests/inputs/stub.moon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..19ce047
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/inputs/stub.moon
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+
+
+x = {
+  val: 100
+  hello: =>
+    print @val
+}
+
+fn = x\val
+print fn!
+print x\val!
+
+
diff --git a/tests/outputs/stub.lua b/tests/outputs/stub.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6ab73cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/outputs/stub.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+local x = {
+  val = 100,
+  hello = function(self)
+    return print(self.val)
+  end
+}
+local fn = (function()
+  local _base_0 = x
+  local _fn_0 = _base_0.val
+  return function(...)
+    return _fn_0(_base_0, ...)
+  end
+end)()
+print(fn())
+print(x:val())
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/todo b/todo
index abe8440..b29fb1c 100644
--- a/todo
+++ b/todo
@@ -1,18 +1,17 @@
 # TODO
 
+- dump node in mark, see why values are being parsed multiple times
+
 if hello else world
  ->  if hello then hello else world
 
 - varargs that get put in a nested generated function aren't valid anymore:
 
-- allow a return without an argument
-
 - class expressions, x = class extends Hello do new: => print "hello"
 
 * multiline comments
 * table slices (almost)
 * add continue keyword (ouch)
-* vim syntax file
 
 * combine for and if line decorators