>using "good variable names" in cases where that variable is effectively functioning as nothing more than a syntactically necessary placeholder for a point-free

>using "good variable names" in cases where that variable is effectively functioning as nothing more than a syntactically necessary placeholder for a point-free phrase is a clear (if well-intentioned) mistake. If variable names are well picked they provide guiding context hints that ease understanding. If you have only a terse pack of symbols, deciphering the code will be longer because you have to go trough more contextualization to understand where the code take place and what it actually operates over for which purpose.