diff --git a/test/dom/html/test_map.py b/test/dom/html/test_map.py
index 77d0d7f..58727e1 100644
--- a/test/dom/html/test_map.py
+++ b/test/dom/html/test_map.py
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ def test():
     print "testing get/set"
     m.appendChild(a);
     print "get Areas"
-    as = m._get_areas()
+    as_ = m._get_areas()
 
-    if as[0].nodeName != a.nodeName:
+    if as_[0].nodeName != a.nodeName:
         error('getAreas failed')
 
 
diff --git a/xml/xpath/ParsedAbbreviatedAbsoluteLocationPath.py b/xml/xpath/ParsedAbbreviatedAbsoluteLocationPath.py
index 11b744c..d05df48 100644
--- a/xml/xpath/ParsedAbbreviatedAbsoluteLocationPath.py
+++ b/xml/xpath/ParsedAbbreviatedAbsoluteLocationPath.py
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ class ParsedAbbreviatedAbsoluteLocationPath:
         self._rel = rel
         nt = ParsedNodeTest.ParsedNodeTest('node', '')
         ppl = ParsedPredicateList.ParsedPredicateList([])
-        as = ParsedAxisSpecifier.ParsedAxisSpecifier('descendant-or-self')
-        self._step = ParsedStep.ParsedStep(as, nt, ppl)
+        as_ = ParsedAxisSpecifier.ParsedAxisSpecifier('descendant-or-self')
+        self._step = ParsedStep.ParsedStep(as_, nt, ppl)
         return
 
     def evaluate(self, context):
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class ParsedAbbreviatedAbsoluteLocationPath:
         rt = self._step.select(context)
         res = []
         l = len(rt)
-        
+
         sub_rt = []
         for ctr in range(l):
             n = rt[ctr]
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class ParsedAbbreviatedAbsoluteLocationPath:
         context.setNodePosSize(origState)
         return result
     select = evaluate
-    
+
     def pprint(self, indent=''):
         print indent + str(self)
         self._step.pprint(indent + '  ')
@@ -65,4 +65,4 @@ class ParsedAbbreviatedAbsoluteLocationPath:
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return '/%s/%s' % (repr(self._step), repr(self._rel))
-        
+
diff --git a/xml/xpath/ParsedAbbreviatedRelativeLocationPath.py b/xml/xpath/ParsedAbbreviatedRelativeLocationPath.py
index 44d25b9..4dc4cf5 100644
--- a/xml/xpath/ParsedAbbreviatedRelativeLocationPath.py
+++ b/xml/xpath/ParsedAbbreviatedRelativeLocationPath.py
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ class ParsedAbbreviatedRelativeLocationPath:
         self._right = right
         nt = ParsedNodeTest.ParsedNodeTest('node','')
         ppl = ParsedPredicateList.ParsedPredicateList([])
-        as = ParsedAxisSpecifier.ParsedAxisSpecifier('descendant-or-self')
-        self._middle = ParsedStep.ParsedStep(as, nt, ppl)
+        as_ = ParsedAxisSpecifier.ParsedAxisSpecifier('descendant-or-self')
+        self._middle = ParsedStep.ParsedStep(as_, nt, ppl)
 
     def evaluate(self, context):
         res = []