-#define ATTR_DEFAULT 0x0128U /* bg 9, fg 8 */
-#define ATTR_DEFFG 0x0008U
-#define ATTR_DEFBG 0x0120U
-
-#define ATTR_CUR_AND (~(ATTR_BOLD|ATTR_REVERSE|ATTR_BLINK|ATTR_COLOURS))
-#define ATTR_CUR_XOR 0x016AU
+/*
+ * The definitive list of colour numbers stored in terminal
+ * attribute words is kept here. It is:
+ *
+ * - 0-7 are ANSI colours (KRGYBMCW).
+ * - 8-15 are the bold versions of those colours.
+ * - 16-255 are the remains of the xterm 256-colour mode (a
+ * 216-colour cube with R at most significant and B at least,
+ * followed by a uniform series of grey shades running between
+ * black and white but not including either on grounds of
+ * redundancy).
+ * - 256 is default foreground
+ * - 257 is default bold foreground
+ * - 258 is default background
+ * - 259 is default bold background
+ * - 260 is cursor foreground
+ * - 261 is cursor background
+ */
+
+#define ATTR_DEFFG (256 << ATTR_FGSHIFT)
+#define ATTR_DEFBG (258 << ATTR_BGSHIFT)
+#define ATTR_DEFAULT (ATTR_DEFFG | ATTR_DEFBG)