diff --git a/src/rcfile.c b/src/rcfile.c
index 42c21df19b5a76cd5376ef0984ec0e768c977394..a63e13bfc106382facffaae1940b545f125fb12b 100644
--- a/src/rcfile.c
+++ b/src/rcfile.c
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ void parse_colors(char *ptr, int rex_flags)
 {
     short fg, bg;
     bool bright = FALSE;
-    char *fgstr;
+    char *item;
 
     assert(ptr != NULL);
 
@@ -664,9 +664,9 @@ void parse_colors(char *ptr, int rex_flags)
 	return;
     }
 
-    fgstr = ptr;
+    item = ptr;
     ptr = parse_next_word(ptr);
-    if (!parse_color_names(fgstr, &fg, &bg, &bright))
+    if (!parse_color_names(item, &fg, &bg, &bright))
 	return;
 
     if (*ptr == '\0') {
@@ -696,16 +696,16 @@ void parse_colors(char *ptr, int rex_flags)
 	    continue;
 	}
 
-	fgstr = ++ptr;
+	item = ++ptr;
 	ptr = parse_next_regex(ptr);
 	if (ptr == NULL)
 	    break;
 
-	if (*fgstr == '\0') {
+	if (*item == '\0') {
 	    rcfile_error(N_("Empty regex string"));
 	    goodstart = FALSE;
 	} else
-	    goodstart = nregcomp(fgstr, rex_flags);
+	    goodstart = nregcomp(item, rex_flags);
 
 	/* If the starting regex is valid, initialize a new color struct,
 	 * and hook it in at the tail of the linked list. */
@@ -717,7 +717,7 @@ void parse_colors(char *ptr, int rex_flags)
 	    newcolor->bright = bright;
 	    newcolor->rex_flags = rex_flags;
 
-	    newcolor->start_regex = mallocstrcpy(NULL, fgstr);
+	    newcolor->start_regex = mallocstrcpy(NULL, item);
 	    newcolor->start = NULL;
 
 	    newcolor->end_regex = NULL;
@@ -750,12 +750,12 @@ void parse_colors(char *ptr, int rex_flags)
 	    continue;
 	}
 
-	fgstr = ++ptr;
+	item = ++ptr;
 	ptr = parse_next_regex(ptr);
 	if (ptr == NULL)
 	    break;
 
-	if (*fgstr == '\0') {
+	if (*item == '\0') {
 	    rcfile_error(N_("Empty regex string"));
 	    continue;
 	}
@@ -766,8 +766,8 @@ void parse_colors(char *ptr, int rex_flags)
 	    continue;
 
 	/* If it's valid, save the ending regex string. */
-	if (nregcomp(fgstr, rex_flags))
-	    newcolor->end_regex = mallocstrcpy(NULL, fgstr);
+	if (nregcomp(item, rex_flags))
+	    newcolor->end_regex = mallocstrcpy(NULL, item);
 
 	/* Lame way to skip another static counter. */
 	newcolor->id = live_syntax->nmultis;