diff --git a/twander.py b/twander.py
index 45f0aea..7ae2763 100755
--- a/twander.py
+++ b/twander.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # Program Information
 
 PROGNAME = "twander"
-RCSID    = "$Id: twander.py,v 3.209 2006/12/19 00:13:16 tundra Exp $"
+RCSID    = "$Id: twander.py,v 3.210 2006/12/19 09:12:05 tundra Exp $"
 VERSION  = RCSID.split()[2]
 
 # Copyright Information
@@ -22,12 +22,13 @@
 #                     Imports                              #
 #----------------------------------------------------------#
 
+from socket import getfqdn
+from stat import *
 import getopt
+from fnmatch import fnmatch
 import mutex
 import os
 import re
-from socket import getfqdn
-from stat import *
 import sys
 import thread
 import time
@@ -589,7 +590,7 @@
 ASSIGN     = "="               # Assignment for variable definitions
 ASSOCBLANK = "RESETASSOC"      # Internally used to indicate a blank ASSOC RHS
 ASSOCDFLT  = "*"               # Symbol for default association action
-ASSOCEXCL  = "-"               # Symbol for association exclusion action
+ASSOCEXCL  = "!"               # Symbol for association exclusion action
 ASSOCIATE  = "ASSOC"           # Association keyword
 CONF       = ""                # Config file user selected with -c option
 COMMENT    = r"#"              # Comment introducer string
@@ -1779,7 +1780,11 @@
                 # Blank RHS implies user wants association removed
 
                 if cmd == ASSOCBLANK:
-                    del UI.Associations[cmdname]
+                    if cmdname == ASSOCEXCL:               # Null out the exclusion list
+                        UI.Associations[cmdname] = []
+                    else:
+                        if cmdname in UI.Associations:  # Only blank out entries if they actually exist
+                            del UI.Associations[cmdname]
                 
                 # Process association exclusions
                 
@@ -3603,16 +3608,24 @@
         # Apply any relevant association information, skipping types
         # found in the exclusion list
         
+
+        # Skip things on the exclude list Don't bother checking
+        # against ASSOCDFLT and ASSOCEXCL - they are not "real"
+        # associations
+        
         excluded = False
         for exclude in UI.Associations[ASSOCEXCL]:
-            if selected.endswith(exclude) or (OSPLATFORM == 'win32' and selected.lower().endswith(exclude.lower())):
+            if (exclude != ASSOCDFLT) and (exclude != ASSOCEXCL) and fnmatch(selected, exclude):
                 excluded = True
 
+        # Check the selection against every named association, but skip
+        # the ASSOCDFLT and ASSOCEXCL associations because they are
+        # special directives and not "real" associations.
+
         assocfound = False
         if not excluded:
-            
             for assoc in UI.Associations:
-                if selected.endswith(assoc) or (OSPLATFORM == 'win32' and selected.lower().endswith(assoc.lower())):
+                if (assoc != ASSOCDFLT) and (assoc != ASSOCEXCL) and fnmatch(selected, assoc):
                     selected = UI.Associations[assoc]
                     assocfound = True