Hi Tim,
> funky / <looking @string") is equivalent to .("$funky / <looking @string"), an appropriate lookup for a map with rather odd conventions for keys.
In other words, I think you're stuck with the ("@context") approach.
As to your second question, it looks like what you're proposing should work - but am I reading you as saying you get an error with your proposed approach? If so, what's the error?