diff --git a/src/comp/middle/ty.rs b/src/comp/middle/ty.rs
index a79e4401569eb..2cf62fcb2d4df 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/ty.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/ty.rs
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ export type_is_tup_like;
 export type_is_str;
 export type_is_unique;
 export type_is_tag;
-export type_is_enum_like;
+export type_is_c_like_enum;
 export type_structurally_contains_uniques;
 export type_autoderef;
 export type_param;
@@ -1274,7 +1274,7 @@ fn type_is_tag(cx: ctxt, ty: t) -> bool {
 
 // Whether a type is enum like, that is a tag type with only nullary
 // constructors
-fn type_is_enum_like(cx: ctxt, ty: t) -> bool {
+fn type_is_c_like_enum(cx: ctxt, ty: t) -> bool {
     alt struct(cx, ty) {
       ty_tag(did, tps) {
         let variants = tag_variants(cx, did);
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
index 1d701f9b9ab6f..fe2cffa222034 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
@@ -211,9 +211,9 @@ fn type_is_scalar(fcx: @fn_ctxt, sp: span, typ: ty::t) -> bool {
     ret ty::type_is_scalar(fcx.ccx.tcx, typ_s);
 }
 
-fn type_is_enum_like(fcx: @fn_ctxt, sp: span, typ: ty::t) -> bool {
+fn type_is_c_like_enum(fcx: @fn_ctxt, sp: span, typ: ty::t) -> bool {
     let typ_s = structurally_resolved_type(fcx, sp, typ);
-    ret ty::type_is_enum_like(fcx.ccx.tcx, typ_s);
+    ret ty::type_is_c_like_enum(fcx.ccx.tcx, typ_s);
 }
 
 // Parses the programmer's textual representation of a type into our internal
@@ -2216,7 +2216,7 @@ fn check_expr_with_unifier(fcx: @fn_ctxt, expr: @ast::expr, unify: unifier,
           ty::ty_iface(_, _) {}
           _ {
             let t_1_is_scalar = type_is_scalar(fcx, expr.span, t_1);
-            if type_is_enum_like(fcx,expr.span,t_e) && t_1_is_scalar {
+            if type_is_c_like_enum(fcx,expr.span,t_e) && t_1_is_scalar {
                 /* this case is allowed */
             } else if !(type_is_scalar(fcx,expr.span,t_e) && t_1_is_scalar) {
                 // FIXME there are more forms of cast to support, eventually.
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/ast_util.rs b/src/comp/syntax/ast_util.rs
index 121abc1ce5c3a..4a9c51286c790 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/ast_util.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/ast_util.rs
@@ -245,6 +245,8 @@ tag const_val {
     const_str(str);
 }
 
+// FIXME (#1417): any function that uses this function should likely be moved
+// into the middle end
 fn eval_const_expr(e: @expr) -> const_val {
     fn fromb(b: bool) -> const_val { const_int(b as i64) }
     alt e.node {
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/fold.rs b/src/comp/syntax/fold.rs
index f075979b7f676..a2cb8066a6780 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/fold.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/fold.rs
@@ -473,9 +473,9 @@ fn noop_fold_variant(v: variant_, fld: ast_fold) -> variant_ {
     let (de, dv) = alt v.disr_expr {
       some(e) {
         let de = fld.fold_expr(e);
+        // FIXME (#1417): see parser.rs
         let dv = alt syntax::ast_util::eval_const_expr(e) {
           ast_util::const_int(val) {
-            // FIXME (#1417): check that value is in range
             val as int
           }
         };
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs b/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
index c3fb803e48915..13396d6822722 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
@@ -2117,7 +2117,7 @@ fn parse_item_tag(p: parser, attrs: [ast::attribute]) -> @ast::item {
                 // probably be doing."  (See issue #1417)
                 alt syntax::ast_util::eval_const_expr(e) {
                   syntax::ast_util::const_int(val) {
-                    // FIXME (#1417): check that value is in range
+                    // FIXME: check that value is in range
                     disr_val = val as int;
                   }
                 }
@@ -2148,7 +2148,7 @@ fn parse_item_tag(p: parser, attrs: [ast::attribute]) -> @ast::item {
     }
     let hi = p.get_hi_pos();
     if (have_disr && !all_nullary) {
-        p.fatal("discriminator values can only be used with enum-like tag");
+        p.fatal("discriminator values can only be used with a c-like enum");
     }
     p.bump();
     ret mk_item(p, lo, hi, id, ast::item_tag(variants, ty_params), attrs);
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/tag-variant-disr-non-nullary.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/tag-variant-disr-non-nullary.rs
index 1d3a59e172ff0..3c8f25d931370 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/tag-variant-disr-non-nullary.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/tag-variant-disr-non-nullary.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-//error-pattern: discriminator values can only be used with enum-like tag
+//error-pattern: discriminator values can only be used with a c-like enum
 // black and white have the same discriminator value ...
 
 tag color {