diff --git a/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/tasks/cmd_baddisplay.out b/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/tasks/cmd_baddisplay.out
index c08a05b..c691b70 100644
--- a/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/tasks/cmd_baddisplay.out
+++ b/cmd/cue/cmd/testdata/tasks/cmd_baddisplay.out
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-unsupported op &(int, (string)*):
+unsupported op &(int, string):
     $CWD/testdata/tasks/task_tool.cue:29:9
     tool/cli:4:9
     
diff --git a/cue/kind.go b/cue/kind.go
index b8b3b37..ea4aad8 100644
--- a/cue/kind.go
+++ b/cue/kind.go
@@ -145,12 +145,6 @@
 	if str == "" {
 		return "_|_"
 	}
-	if k&nonGround != 0 {
-		str = "(" + str + ")*"
-	}
-	if k&referenceKind != 0 {
-		str = "&" + str
-	}
 	return str
 }
 
diff --git a/cue/resolve_test.go b/cue/resolve_test.go
index d54784b..e645a6a 100644
--- a/cue/resolve_test.go
+++ b/cue/resolve_test.go
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@
 
 			`e1: _|_(("foo" =~ 1):unsupported op =~(string, int)), ` +
 			`e2: _|_(("foo" !~ true):unsupported op !~(string, bool)), ` +
-			`e3: _|_((!="a" & <5):unsupported op &((string)*, (number)*))}`,
+			`e3: _|_((!="a" & <5):unsupported op &(string, number))}`,
 	}, {
 		desc: "arithmetic",
 		in: `
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@
 			f: true
 			f: bool
 			`,
-		out: `<0>{a: 1, b: 1, c: 1.0, d: _|_((int & float):unsupported op &((int)*, (float)*)), e: "4", f: true}`,
+		out: `<0>{a: 1, b: 1, c: 1.0, d: _|_((int & float):unsupported op &(int, float)), e: "4", f: true}`,
 	}, {
 		desc: "strings and bytes",
 		in: `
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@
 			p: +true
 			m: -false
 		`,
-		out: `<0>{i: int, j: 3, s: string, t: "s", e: _|_((int & string):unsupported op &((int)*, (string)*)), e2: _|_((1 & string):unsupported op &(int, (string)*)), b: _|_(!int:unary '!' requires bool value, found (int)*), p: _|_(+true:unary '+' requires numeric value, found bool), m: _|_(-false:unary '-' requires numeric value, found bool)}`,
+		out: `<0>{i: int, j: 3, s: string, t: "s", e: _|_((int & string):unsupported op &(int, string)), e2: _|_((1 & string):unsupported op &(int, string)), b: _|_(!int:unary '!' requires bool value, found int), p: _|_(+true:unary '+' requires numeric value, found bool), m: _|_(-false:unary '-' requires numeric value, found bool)}`,
 	}, {
 		desc: "comparison",
 		in: `
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@
 				e1: 2.0 % (3&int)
 				e2: int & 4.0/2.0
 				`,
-		out: `<0>{v1: 5e+11, v2: true, n1: 1, v5: 2, e1: 2.0, e2: _|_((int & 2):unsupported op &((int)*, float))}`,
+		out: `<0>{v1: 5e+11, v2: true, n1: 1, v5: 2, e1: 2.0, e2: _|_((int & 2):unsupported op &(int, float))}`,
 	}, {
 		desc: "inequality",
 		in: `
@@ -737,7 +737,7 @@
 			`e6: _|_(incompatible bounds >11 and <11), ` +
 			`e7: _|_(incompatible bounds >=11 and <11), ` +
 			`e8: _|_(incompatible bounds >11 and <=11), ` +
-			`e9: _|_((>"a" & <1):unsupported op &((string)*, (number)*))}`,
+			`e9: _|_((>"a" & <1):unsupported op &(string, number))}`,
 	}, {
 		desc: "custom validators",
 		in: `
@@ -878,7 +878,7 @@
 			`t0: [<3>{a: 8}], ` +
 			`t1: [, ...int], ` +
 			`e0: _|_(([<4>{},<4>{}] & [<5>{}]):incompatible list lengths: cannot unify numbers 2 and 1), ` +
-			`e1: _|_(([, ...int] & [, ...float]):incompatible list types: unsupported op &((int)*, (float)*): )` +
+			`e1: _|_(([, ...int] & [, ...float]):incompatible list types: unsupported op &(int, float): )` +
 			`}`,
 	}, {
 		// TODO: consider removing list arithmetic altogether. It is no longer
@@ -1296,8 +1296,8 @@
 			`b14: _|_(incompatible bounds >=6 and <=5), ` +
 			`c1: (int & >=1 & <=5), ` +
 			`c2: (<=5 & int & >=1), ` +
-			`c3: _|_((string & >=1):unsupported op &((string)*, (number)*)), ` +
-			`c4: _|_(((>=1 & <=5) & string):unsupported op &((number)*, (string)*)), ` +
+			`c3: _|_((string & >=1):unsupported op &(string, number)), ` +
+			`c4: _|_(((>=1 & <=5) & string):unsupported op &(number, string)), ` +
 			`s1: "e", ` +
 			`s2: "ee", ` +
 			`n1: (>=1 & <=2), ` +
@@ -1572,7 +1572,7 @@
 		in: `
 				a: 8000.9
 				a: 7080 | int`,
-		out: `<0>{a: _|_((8000.9 & int):unsupported op &(float, (int)*))}`,
+		out: `<0>{a: _|_((8000.9 & int):unsupported op &(float, int))}`,
 	}, {
 		desc: "resolve all disjunctions",
 		in: `
diff --git a/cue/types_test.go b/cue/types_test.go
index dbabb38..895df3c 100644
--- a/cue/types_test.go
+++ b/cue/types_test.go
@@ -224,8 +224,8 @@
 		notInt: true,
 	}, {
 		value:  "int",
-		err:    "non-concrete value (int)*",
-		errU:   "non-concrete value (int)*",
+		err:    "non-concrete value int",
+		errU:   "non-concrete value int",
 		notInt: true,
 	}, {
 		value:  "_|_",
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@
 		str: `Hello world!`,
 	}, {
 		value: `string`,
-		err:   "non-concrete value (string)*",
+		err:   "non-concrete value string",
 	}}
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.value, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@
 		value: `null`,
 	}, {
 		value: `_`,
-		err:   "non-concrete value (_)*",
+		err:   "non-concrete value _",
 	}}
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.value, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@
 		value: `false`,
 	}, {
 		value: `bool`,
-		err:   "non-concrete value (bool)*",
+		err:   "non-concrete value bool",
 	}}
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.value, func(t *testing.T) {