--- a/src/lex.h
+++ b/src/lex.h
@@ -165,10 +165,6 @@
   // structure element.
   bool looking_at_indirect_ref;
 
-  // TRUE means we need to do some extra lookahead to avoid being
-  // screwed by bogus function syntax.
-  int maybe_screwed_again;
-
   // TRUE means that we've already seen the name of this function.
   // Should only matter if defining_func is also TRUE.
   bool parsed_function_name;

--- a/src/lex.l
+++ b/src/lex.l
@@ -1950,9 +1950,6 @@
   // Not initially looking at indirect references.
   looking_at_indirect_ref = false;
 
-  // Not initially screwed by `function [...] = f (...)' syntax.
-  maybe_screwed_again = 0;
-
   // Quote marks strings intially.
   quote_is_transpose = false;
 }
@@ -1961,7 +1958,9 @@
 whitespace_in_literal_matrix (void)
 {
   int pref = 0;
+
   string val = builtin_string_variable ("whitespace_in_literal_matrix");
+
   if (! val.empty ())
     {
       if (val.compare ("ignore", 0, 6) == 0)
@@ -1969,7 +1968,9 @@
       else if (val.compare ("traditional", 0, 11) == 0)
 	pref = 1;
     }
+
   Vwhitespace_in_literal_matrix = pref;
+
   return 0;
 }