diff --git a/core/generic/multi/multi.factor b/core/generic/multi/multi.factor
index 7608284b711..2d1e43187e9 100644
--- a/core/generic/multi/multi.factor
+++ b/core/generic/multi/multi.factor
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 USING: accessors arrays assocs classes classes.algebra classes.algebra.private
-classes.private combinators definitions effects effects.parser generalizations
-generic generic.parser generic.single generic.single.private generic.standard
-kernel make math math.order namespaces parser quotations sequences sets sorting
-vectors words ;
+classes.private combinators definitions effects effects.parser fry
+generalizations generic generic.parser generic.single generic.single.private
+generic.standard kernel make math math.order namespaces parser
+prettyprint.custom quotations sequences sets sorting vectors words ;
 
 IN: generic.multi
 
@@ -295,3 +295,21 @@ ERROR: empty-dispatch-spec seq ;
     ] with-definition ;
 
 SYNTAX: MM: (MM:) define ;
+
+! * Literal syntax for dispatch specifiers
+
+! Currently only covariant-tuple. For the moment just some convenience to
+! identify and print multi-methods using the existing single method code with
+! something like M\ D{ class1 class2 } generic
+! But defining with M: D{ class1 class2 } generic ... ; does not turn the generic
+! into a multi-generic !
+
+SYNTAX: D{
+  \ } [ <covariant-tuple> ] parse-literal ;
+
+M: covariant-tuple pprint* pprint-object ;
+
+M: covariant-tuple pprint-delims
+    drop \ D{ \ } ;
+
+M: covariant-tuple >pprint-sequence classes>> ;
diff --git a/core/syntax/syntax.factor b/core/syntax/syntax.factor
index a2d48456a2e..a112664b099 100644
--- a/core/syntax/syntax.factor
+++ b/core/syntax/syntax.factor
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ IN: bootstrap.syntax
 
     "POSTPONE:" [ scan-word suffix! ] define-core-syntax
     "\\" [ scan-word <wrapper> suffix! ] define-core-syntax
-    "M\\" [ scan-word scan-word lookup-method <wrapper> suffix! ] define-core-syntax
+    "M\\" [ scan-class scan-word lookup-method <wrapper> suffix! ] define-core-syntax
     "inline" [ last-word make-inline ] define-core-syntax
     "recursive" [ last-word make-recursive ] define-core-syntax
     "foldable" [ last-word make-foldable ] define-core-syntax