diff --git a/crates/loon-lang/src/check/mod.rs b/crates/loon-lang/src/check/mod.rs
index fecbf8c..aa1181b 100644
--- a/crates/loon-lang/src/check/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/loon-lang/src/check/mod.rs
@@ -459,6 +459,24 @@ impl Checker {
             );
         }
 
+        // signature: ∀a. a → Str (accepts any fn value, returns its signature)
+        {
+            let a = self.subst.fresh();
+            let tva = if let Type::Var(v) = a {
+                v
+            } else {
+                unreachable!()
+            };
+            self.env.set_global(
+                "signature".to_string(),
+                Scheme {
+                    bounds: vec![],
+                    vars: vec![tva],
+                    ty: Type::Fn(vec![Type::Var(tva)], Box::new(Type::Str), EffectRow::pure()),
+                },
+            );
+        }
+
         // println: ∀a. a → ()
         {
             let a = self.subst.fresh();
diff --git a/crates/loon-lang/src/interp/builtins.rs b/crates/loon-lang/src/interp/builtins.rs
index a65b0c7..dce931a 100644
--- a/crates/loon-lang/src/interp/builtins.rs
+++ b/crates/loon-lang/src/interp/builtins.rs
@@ -107,6 +107,46 @@ pub fn register_builtins(env: &mut Env) {
         };
     }
 
+    builtin!(env, "signature", |_, args: &[Value]| {
+        if args.len() != 1 {
+            return Err(err("signature requires exactly 1 argument (a function)"));
+        }
+        fn param_str(p: &super::value::Param) -> String {
+            match p {
+                super::value::Param::Simple(n) => n.clone(),
+                super::value::Param::Rest(n) => format!("& {n}"),
+                super::value::Param::VecDestructure(ps) => {
+                    let inner: Vec<String> = ps.iter().map(param_str).collect();
+                    format!("#[{}]", inner.join(" "))
+                }
+                super::value::Param::MapDestructure(entries) => {
+                    let keys: Vec<&str> = entries.iter().map(|(k, _)| k.as_str()).collect();
+                    format!("{{{}}}", keys.join(" "))
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        match &args[0] {
+            Value::Fn(lf) => {
+                let name = lf.name.as_deref().unwrap_or("fn");
+                let clauses: Vec<String> = lf
+                    .clauses
+                    .iter()
+                    .map(|(params, _)| {
+                        let ps: Vec<String> = params.iter().map(param_str).collect();
+                        if ps.is_empty() {
+                            format!("[{name}]")
+                        } else {
+                            format!("[{name} {}]", ps.join(" "))
+                        }
+                    })
+                    .collect();
+                Ok(Value::Str(clauses.join(" | ").into()))
+            }
+            Value::Builtin(name, _) => Ok(Value::Str(format!("[{name} ...] (builtin)").into())),
+            other => Err(err(format!("signature requires a function, got {other}"))),
+        }
+    });
+
     builtin!(env, "+", |_, args: &[Value]| {
         if args.len() < 2 {
             return Err(err("+ requires at least 2 arguments"));
@@ -1792,7 +1832,7 @@ pub fn apply_value(func: &Value, args: &[Value]) -> IResult {
             call_fn(lf, args, &mut env, crate::syntax::Span::ZERO)
         }
         Value::Builtin(name, f) => f(name, args),
-        _ => Err(err(format!("not callable: {func}"))),
+        _ => Err(err(super::not_callable_msg(func))),
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/loon-lang/src/interp/machine.rs b/crates/loon-lang/src/interp/machine.rs
index 076ba55..1e24890 100644
--- a/crates/loon-lang/src/interp/machine.rs
+++ b/crates/loon-lang/src/interp/machine.rs
@@ -1099,7 +1099,7 @@ impl Machine {
                 }
             }
 
-            other => Err(err_at(format!("not callable: {other}"), span)),
+            other => Err(err_at(super::not_callable_msg(&other), span)),
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/crates/loon-lang/src/interp/mod.rs b/crates/loon-lang/src/interp/mod.rs
index 37c28ed..839d935 100644
--- a/crates/loon-lang/src/interp/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/loon-lang/src/interp/mod.rs
@@ -103,6 +103,20 @@ pub fn err_at(msg: impl Into<String>, span: Span) -> InterpError {
     e
 }
 
+/// Message for applying a non-callable value. When the callee is a number
+/// the likely cause is a `[x y z]` vector-literal habit from other languages,
+/// so name it and show the two correct spellings.
+pub(crate) fn not_callable_msg(func: &Value) -> String {
+    match func {
+        Value::Int(_) | Value::Float(_) => format!(
+            "not callable: {func} — {func} is a number, not a function. \
+             loon has no [x y z] vector syntax; write #[{func} ...] for a vector, \
+             or pass components as separate arguments, e.g. [translate 30 20 -1 solid]"
+        ),
+        _ => format!("not callable: {func}"),
+    }
+}
+
 thread_local! {
     /// SplitMix64 state for the `Rand` builtin effect (None = unseeded).
     static RAND_STATE: std::cell::Cell<Option<u64>> = const { std::cell::Cell::new(None) };
@@ -1124,7 +1138,7 @@ pub fn eval(expr: &Expr, env: &mut Env) -> IResult {
                     CALL_STACK.with(|s| s.borrow_mut().pop());
                     result
                 }
-                _ => Err(err_at(format!("not callable: {func}"), head.span)),
+                _ => Err(err_at(not_callable_msg(&func), head.span)),
             }
         }
     }
@@ -1311,7 +1325,7 @@ fn eval_pipe(args: &[Expr], env: &mut Env) -> IResult {
                 val = match func {
                     Value::Fn(lf) => call_fn(&lf, &call_args, env, step.span)?,
                     Value::Builtin(name, f) => f(&name, &call_args)?,
-                    _ => return Err(err(format!("not callable in pipe: {func}"))),
+                    _ => return Err(err(format!("in pipe: {}", not_callable_msg(&func)))),
                 };
             }
             ExprKind::Symbol(_) => {
@@ -1319,7 +1333,7 @@ fn eval_pipe(args: &[Expr], env: &mut Env) -> IResult {
                 val = match func {
                     Value::Fn(lf) => call_fn(&lf, &[val], env, step.span)?,
                     Value::Builtin(name, f) => f(&name, &[val])?,
-                    _ => return Err(err(format!("not callable in pipe: {func}"))),
+                    _ => return Err(err(format!("in pipe: {}", not_callable_msg(&func)))),
                 };
             }
             _ => return Err(err("pipe step must be a list or symbol")),
diff --git a/crates/loon-lang/tests/interp_tests.rs b/crates/loon-lang/tests/interp_tests.rs
index c74e409..f1bd065 100644
--- a/crates/loon-lang/tests/interp_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/loon-lang/tests/interp_tests.rs
@@ -1849,3 +1849,77 @@ fn let_destructure_non_sequence_errors_loudly() {
         "error should name the requirement, got: {msg}"
     );
 }
+
+// ── Vector-literal trap & signature discoverability ──────────────────
+
+#[test]
+fn calling_a_number_names_the_vector_trap() {
+    // `[30 20 -1]` is application, not a vector literal — the error must
+    // say so and point at #[...] / separate args, with a span.
+    let exprs = parse("[30 20 -1]").expect("parse failed");
+    let e = eval_program(&exprs).unwrap_err();
+    assert!(
+        e.message.contains("30 is a number, not a function"),
+        "{}",
+        e.message
+    );
+    assert!(e.message.contains("#["), "{}", e.message);
+    assert!(e.span.is_some(), "not-callable error must carry a span");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn calling_a_number_names_the_vector_trap_vm() {
+    let exprs = parse("[30 20 -1]").expect("parse failed");
+    let e = eval_program_vm(&exprs).unwrap_err();
+    assert!(
+        e.message.contains("30 is a number, not a function"),
+        "{}",
+        e.message
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn calling_a_non_number_keeps_plain_message() {
+    let exprs = parse("[\"nope\" 1]").expect("parse failed");
+    let e = eval_program(&exprs).unwrap_err();
+    assert!(e.message.starts_with("not callable:"), "{}", e.message);
+    assert!(!e.message.contains("vector syntax"), "{}", e.message);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn signature_of_named_fn() {
+    let result = run(r#"
+        [let translate [fn [x y z s] s]]
+        [signature translate]
+    "#);
+    assert_eq!(result, Value::Str("[fn x y z s]".into()));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn signature_of_named_fn_form() {
+    let result = run(r#"
+        [fn translate [x y z s] s]
+        [signature translate]
+    "#);
+    assert_eq!(result, Value::Str("[translate x y z s]".into()));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn signature_of_builtin() {
+    let result = run("[signature str]");
+    match result {
+        Value::Str(s) => assert!(s.contains("str") && s.contains("builtin"), "{s}"),
+        other => panic!("expected string, got {other}"),
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn signature_of_non_fn_errors() {
+    let exprs = parse("[signature 5]").expect("parse failed");
+    let e = eval_program(&exprs).unwrap_err();
+    assert!(
+        e.message.contains("signature requires a function"),
+        "{}",
+        e.message
+    );
+}
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-07-18-subject-last-ergonomics.md b/docs/plans/2026-07-18-subject-last-ergonomics.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b9e6164
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-07-18-subject-last-ergonomics.md
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+# Subject-last ergonomics for the vcad stdlib
+
+Date: 2026-07-18. Status: implemented, design open for review.
+
+The vcad stdlib (vcad `lib/src/lib.loon`) is subject-last so pipes read
+naturally: `[pipe body [difference tool]]`. But a *direct* call
+`[difference A B]` computes B − A — reversed from every other CAD system —
+and yields a valid-but-wrong solid with no error. Two related traps:
+`[30 20 -1]` is application (→ "not callable: 30"), and there was no way to
+discover a symbol's arity/arg names without reading lib.loon.
+
+## Problem 1 decision: lint, not new calling conventions
+
+Options considered:
+
+- **(a) keyword/record args** (`[difference {:from body :cut tool}]`) —
+  order-proof, but a second calling convention that breaks pipe threading
+  (pipe appends the subject positionally), breaks every existing `.loon`
+  file if made mandatory, and is optional otherwise (an optional safety
+  doesn't catch the user who doesn't know about the trap). Rejected.
+- **(c) subject-first alias family** (`cut`, `move`, …) — doesn't make the
+  *existing* names any safer; doubles the vocabulary and splits the
+  ecosystem into two dialects. Rejected as the primary fix (an alias can
+  still be added later as sugar).
+- **(b) lint on direct calls to subject-last builtins** — chosen, with a
+  precision refinement:
+  - `difference` at full arity (2 solid args): always warn — the two
+    operands are both solids, so wrong order is statically undetectable;
+    the warning states the semantics ("`[difference A B]` computes B − A")
+    and shows both correct spellings (swap, or pipe).
+  - `translate`/`rotate`/`scale`/`mirror` at full arity: warn **only when
+    the last argument is a numeric literal** — the subject slot holding a
+    number means the args are definitely reversed. Correct direct calls
+    stay silent.
+  - `union`/`intersection`: no warning — commutative, order can't be wrong.
+
+This makes the mistake loud without regressing pipes (pipe-stage calls are
+under-arity and never match), without breaking any existing source
+(warnings, not errors), and with zero false positives for transforms.
+
+Implemented as `vcad_loon::lint_vcad(source) -> Vec<VcadWarning>` (message +
+1-based user line). Consumers (Typst plugin, CLI) call it alongside
+`eval_vcad` and surface warnings however they render diagnostics. It lives
+in vcad-loon rather than loon-lang because subject-last-ness is vcad stdlib
+knowledge, not a language property. If more stdlib fns need it, the table
+could move into lib.loon metadata later.
+
+## Problem 2: the vector trap error + spans across the FFI
+
+- loon-lang: all "not callable" sites (`interp/mod.rs` call + pipe paths,
+  `interp/machine.rs`, `interp/builtins.rs::apply_value`) now share
+  `not_callable_msg`, which special-cases a numeric callee: "30 is a
+  number, not a function. loon has no [x y z] vector syntax; write
+  #[30 ...] for a vector, or pass components as separate arguments, e.g.
+  [translate 30 20 -1 solid]".
+- vcad-loon: errors no longer collapse to a bare `String`. New
+  `VcadError { message, line: Option<usize> }` and
+  `eval_vcad_diag` / (internal) span→line mapping that subtracts the
+  prepended lib prefix; spans inside the bundled lib map to `line: None`.
+  The existing `eval_vcad`/`eval_vcad_to_value` `String` APIs are kept
+  backward-compatible and now prefix "line N: " via `VcadError`'s Display.
+- The multi-root `collect_top_level_values` rewrite now copies inter-form
+  text verbatim and wraps value forms in place (no inserted newlines), so
+  line numbers survive the rewrite.
+
+## Problem 3: discoverability
+
+- `signature` builtin in loon-lang: `[signature translate]` →
+  `"[translate x y z s]"` (multi-clause fns join with `|`, rest params show
+  as `& name`, builtins report `"[name ...] (builtin)"`). Registered in the
+  checker as `∀a. a → Str`.
+- No new `[vec x y z]` helper: `#[x y z]` already exists and the improved
+  not-callable message now teaches it at exactly the moment of the mistake.
+  A parse-time diagnostic for `[number ...]` was skipped — the runtime error
+  now fires with a span and the guided message, and parse-level rejection
+  would outlaw macro-generated forms that are legal today.
+
+## Tests
+
+- loon-lang `tests/interp_tests.rs`: number-callee message (tree-walker and
+  VM), plain message preserved for non-numeric callees, `signature` on
+  named/anonymous fns, builtins, and non-fns.
+- vcad-loon `ergonomics_tests`: error carries user line (including through
+  the multi-root rewrite), lint fires on direct `difference` and reversed
+  transforms, stays silent on piped/correct calls, `[signature translate]`
+  reads stdlib arg names.