diff --git a/tk/Makefile b/tk/Makefile
index bd79cbd..0ae0b4c 100644
--- a/tk/Makefile
+++ b/tk/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 TARGET := $(shell guile -c "(display (%site-dir))")
 CCACHE := $(shell guile -c "(display(%site-ccache-dir))")
-OBJ := listlogic.go ports.go mcron.go
-
+OBJ := listlogic.go mcron.go ports.go short.go
 .PHONY: all clean install uninstall
 all: $(OBJ)
 
diff --git a/tk/short.scm b/tk/short.scm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd4de5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tk/short.scm
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+(define-module (tk short)
+  #:export (ss> ss<
+            ssa>)
+  #:duplicates (warn-override-core warn))
+
+(define ss> string->symbol)
+(define ss< symbol->string)
+
+;; Wraps up the common (string->symbol (string-append ...)) form
+(define-syntax ssa>
+  (syntax-rules ()
+    ((ssa> $string . $strings)
+     (ss> (string-append $string . $strings)))
+    ((ssa>)
+     (syntax-error "ssa> needs at least one string argument"))))