diff --git a/1985/sicherman/Makefile b/1985/sicherman/Makefile
index 3580f8705..316ef68c8 100644
--- a/1985/sicherman/Makefile
+++ b/1985/sicherman/Makefile
@@ -132,18 +132,15 @@ all: data ${TARGET}
 	clean clobber install love haste waste maker easter_egg \
 	sandwich supernova deep_magic magic charon pluto
 
-${PROG}: ${PROG}.c ${PROG}.alt2.c
+${PROG}: ${PROG}.c ${PROG}.alt.c
 	${CC} ${CFLAGS} $< -o $@ ${LDFLAGS} || \
-	    ${CC} ${CFLAGS} ${PROG}.alt2.c -o $@ ${LDFLAGS}
+	    ${CC} ${CFLAGS} ${PROG}.alt.c -o $@ ${LDFLAGS}
 
 # alternative executable
 #
 alt: data ${ALT_TARGET}
 	@${TRUE}
 
-${PROG}.alt: ${PROG}.alt.c
-	${CC} ${CFLAGS} -traditional-cpp $< -o $@ ${LDFLAGS}
-
 # data files
 #
 data: ${DATA}
diff --git a/1985/sicherman/README.md b/1985/sicherman/README.md
index 7cef74eea..dab9a3b79 100644
--- a/1985/sicherman/README.md
+++ b/1985/sicherman/README.md
@@ -4,14 +4,9 @@
 make all
 ```
 
-There is an alternate version for those with an old enough compiler or one that
-accepts `-traditional-cpp`. The second alt version will be compiled in the case
-that you have a compiler that does not support 1 arg only in `main()`. For
-instance clang has a number of defects and some versions say that `main()` can
-only have 0, 2 or 3 args. The versions that have this that we know about do
-support 1 arg but in case this is ever changed the
-[sicherman.alt2.c](sicherman.alt2.c) is provided. See [Alternate
-code](#alternate-code) below for details on the alt code, the original entry.
+There is another version that will be compiled in case the first fails. This
+should happen automatically. See [Alternate code](#alternate-code) below for
+more details on it.
 
 
 ## To use:
@@ -20,34 +15,40 @@ code](#alternate-code) below for details on the alt code, the original entry.
 ./sicherman < file
 
 echo foo | ./sicherman
+
+./sicherman
+# type or paste some text, making sure to hit enter after each line typed
 ```
 
 
 ### Try:
 
 ```sh
-./sicherman  < sicherman.c
-
-echo IOCCC | ./sicherman
-
-./sicherman < sicherman.c | ./sicherman
+./try.sh
 ```
 
 
 ## Alternate code:
 
-The [sicherman.alt.c](sicherman.alt.c) is the original entry and requires either
-an old enough compiler or a compiler that supports `-traditional-cpp`. If you have such
-a compiler you can try this version.
+The [sicherman.alt.c](sicherman.alt.c) is a slight change in the fixed version
+(fixed so it does not require `-traditional-cpp`) in that it has two args to
+`main()` as some compilers object to certain number of args in `main()`. This
+will be built in the case of the [sicherman.c](sicherman.c) failing to compile.
+In this case it'll be compiled to `sicherman` to simplify it for the larger
+audience.
 
 
 ### Alternate build:
 
+Although this will be built if the original fails to compile you can do it
+manually like:
+
 ```sh
 make alt
-
 ```
 
+In this case it will be built as `sicherman.alt`.
+
 
 ### Alternate use:
 
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ make alt
 ### Alternate try:
 
 ```sh
-./sicherman.alt < README.md | ./sicherman.alt
+./try.alt.sh
 ```
 
 
diff --git a/1985/sicherman/sicherman.alt.c b/1985/sicherman/sicherman.alt.c
index 5070cc8de..56262fe9f 100644
--- a/1985/sicherman/sicherman.alt.c
+++ b/1985/sicherman/sicherman.alt.c
@@ -2,22 +2,25 @@
 #define _C_C(_)('\b'b'\b'>=C_C>'\t'b'\n')
 #define C_C _|_
 #define b *
-#define C /b/
-#define V _C_C(
-main(C,V)
-char **V;
+#define c /**/
+#define v _C_C(
+char _,__;
+main(
 /*	C program. (If you don't
  *	understand it look it
- */	up.) (In the C Manual)
+ *	up.) (In the */C, Manual)
+char **Manual;
 {
-	char _,__; 
-	while (read(0,&__,1) & write((_=(_=C_C_(__),C)),
-	_C_,1)) _=C-V+subr(&V);
+	char _,__;
+	while (read(0,&__,1) & write((_=(_=C_C_(__),
+	v))?__:__-_+'\b'b'\b'|((_-52)%('\b'b'\b'+~
+	' '&'\t'b'\n')+1),1),&_,1))_=c-v+subr(&v));
 }
+
 subr(C)
 char *C;
 {
-	C="Lint says "argument Manual isn't used."  What's that
-	mean?"; while (write((read(C_C('"'-'/*"'/*"*/))?__:__-_+
+	C="Lint says \"argument Manual isn't used.\" What's that\
+	mean?"; while (write((read(('"'-'/*"'))?__:__-_+
 	'\b'b'\b'|((_-52)%('\b'b'\b'+C_C_('\t'b'\n'))+1),1),&_,1));
 }
diff --git a/1985/sicherman/sicherman.alt2.c b/1985/sicherman/sicherman.alt2.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 56262fe9f..000000000
--- a/1985/sicherman/sicherman.alt2.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-#define C_C_(_)~' '&_
-#define _C_C(_)('\b'b'\b'>=C_C>'\t'b'\n')
-#define C_C _|_
-#define b *
-#define c /**/
-#define v _C_C(
-char _,__;
-main(
-/*	C program. (If you don't
- *	understand it look it
- *	up.) (In the */C, Manual)
-char **Manual;
-{
-	char _,__;
-	while (read(0,&__,1) & write((_=(_=C_C_(__),
-	v))?__:__-_+'\b'b'\b'|((_-52)%('\b'b'\b'+~
-	' '&'\t'b'\n')+1),1),&_,1))_=c-v+subr(&v));
-}
-
-subr(C)
-char *C;
-{
-	C="Lint says \"argument Manual isn't used.\" What's that\
-	mean?"; while (write((read(('"'-'/*"'))?__:__-_+
-	'\b'b'\b'|((_-52)%('\b'b'\b'+C_C_('\t'b'\n'))+1),1),&_,1));
-}
diff --git a/1985/sicherman/try.alt.sh b/1985/sicherman/try.alt.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..806feb1eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/1985/sicherman/try.alt.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# try.alt.sh - demonstrate IOCCC winner 1985/sicherman.alt alt code
+#
+
+# make sure CC is set so that when we do make CC="$CC" it isn't empty. Doing it
+# this way allows us to have the user specify a different compiler in an easy
+# way.
+if [[ -z "$CC" ]]; then
+    CC="cc"
+fi
+
+make CC="$CC" all >/dev/null || exit 1
+
+# clear screen after compilation so that only the entry is shown
+clear
+
+
+read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./sicherman.alt  < sicherman.alt.c: "
+echo 1>&2
+./sicherman.alt  < sicherman.alt.c
+echo 1>&2
+
+read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: echo IOCCC | ./sicherman.alt: "
+echo 1>&2
+echo IOCCC | ./sicherman.alt
+echo 1>&2
+
+read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./sicherman.alt < sicherman.alt.c | ./sicherman.alt: "
+echo 1>&2
+./sicherman.alt < sicherman.alt.c | ./sicherman.alt
+echo 1>&2
+
+read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./sicherman.alt < sicherman.alt.c | ./sicherman.alt | diff -s - sicherman.alt.c: "
+echo 1>&2
+./sicherman.alt < sicherman.alt.c | ./sicherman.alt | diff -s - sicherman.alt.c
diff --git a/thanks-for-help.md b/thanks-for-help.md
index 2928d2a51..c95fb98a7 100644
--- a/thanks-for-help.md
+++ b/thanks-for-help.md
@@ -326,9 +326,14 @@ case as `c`.
 
 Additional code was added in case the fix cannot be compiled by some compilers
 should they object to `main()` having only one arg. This version will
-automatically be compiled if the entry fails to compile for some reason.
+automatically be compiled if the entry fails to compile for some reason but one
+can compile it manually as `make alt` in which case it'll be compiled as
+`sicherman.alt` (if it's done because [sicherman.c](/1985/sicherman/sicherman.c)
+fails to compile it will be built as `sicherman` as part of the `sicherman`
+rule).
 
-Cody also added the [try.sh](/1985/sicherman/try.sh) script.
+Cody also added the [try.sh](/1985/sicherman/try.sh) and
+[try.alt.sh](/1985/sicherman/try.alt.sh) scripts.
 
 
 # <a name="1986"></a>1986