diff --git a/evm/src/cpu/kernel/asm/util/basic_macros.asm b/evm/src/cpu/kernel/asm/util/basic_macros.asm
index 3f4c4c69..50857eaa 100644
--- a/evm/src/cpu/kernel/asm/util/basic_macros.asm
+++ b/evm/src/cpu/kernel/asm/util/basic_macros.asm
@@ -50,14 +50,6 @@
     %endrep
 %endmacro
 
-%macro neq
-    // stack: x, y
-    EQ
-    // stack: x == y
-    ISZERO
-    // stack: x != y
-%endmacro
-
 %macro and_const(c)
     // stack: input, ...
     PUSH $c
diff --git a/evm/src/cpu/kernel/tests/bignum/mod.rs b/evm/src/cpu/kernel/tests/bignum/mod.rs
index a689b352..4b1a7460 100644
--- a/evm/src/cpu/kernel/tests/bignum/mod.rs
+++ b/evm/src/cpu/kernel/tests/bignum/mod.rs
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ fn test_addmul_bignum_all() -> Result<()> {
         for b in &inputs {
             for c in &u128_inputs {
                 let output = addmul_outputs_iter.next().unwrap();
-                test_addmul_bignum(a.clone(), b.clone(), c.clone(), output.clone())?;
+                test_addmul_bignum(a.clone(), b.clone(), *c, output.clone())?;
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/plonky2/src/fri/recursive_verifier.rs b/plonky2/src/fri/recursive_verifier.rs
index 307c4785..8e9329d5 100644
--- a/plonky2/src/fri/recursive_verifier.rs
+++ b/plonky2/src/fri/recursive_verifier.rs
@@ -78,12 +78,16 @@ impl<F: RichField + Extendable<D>, const D: usize> CircuitBuilder<F, D> {
 
         assert!(
             self.config.num_wires >= min_wires,
-            "To efficiently perform FRI checks with an arity of 2^{max_fri_arity_bits}, at least {min_wires} wires are needed. Consider reducing arity."
+            "To efficiently perform FRI checks with an arity of 2^{}, at least {} wires are needed. Consider reducing arity.",
+            max_fri_arity_bits,
+            min_wires
         );
 
         assert!(
             self.config.num_routed_wires >= min_routed_wires,
-            "To efficiently perform FRI checks with an arity of 2^{max_fri_arity_bits}, at least {min_routed_wires} routed wires are needed. Consider reducing arity."
+            "To efficiently perform FRI checks with an arity of 2^{}, at least {} routed wires are needed. Consider reducing arity.",
+            max_fri_arity_bits,
+            min_routed_wires
         );
     }
 
diff --git a/plonky2/src/gadgets/split_base.rs b/plonky2/src/gadgets/split_base.rs
index 7558be3d..dd0edf5d 100644
--- a/plonky2/src/gadgets/split_base.rs
+++ b/plonky2/src/gadgets/split_base.rs
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ impl<F: RichField + Extendable<D>, const D: usize> CircuitBuilder<F, D> {
         let num_bits = bits.len();
         assert!(
             num_bits <= log_floor(F::ORDER, 2),
-            "{num_bits} bits may overflow the field"
+            "{} bits may overflow the field",
+            num_bits
         );
         if num_bits == 0 {
             return self.zero();
diff --git a/plonky2/src/gates/random_access.rs b/plonky2/src/gates/random_access.rs
index b74b1169..80874505 100644
--- a/plonky2/src/gates/random_access.rs
+++ b/plonky2/src/gates/random_access.rs
@@ -361,7 +361,9 @@ impl<F: RichField + Extendable<D>, const D: usize> SimpleGenerator<F>
         let access_index = access_index_f.to_canonical_u64() as usize;
         debug_assert!(
             access_index < vec_size,
-            "Access index {access_index} is larger than the vector size {vec_size}"
+            "Access index {} is larger than the vector size {}",
+            access_index,
+            vec_size
         );
 
         set_local_wire(
diff --git a/plonky2/src/hash/merkle_tree.rs b/plonky2/src/hash/merkle_tree.rs
index beb22b07..e884554f 100644
--- a/plonky2/src/hash/merkle_tree.rs
+++ b/plonky2/src/hash/merkle_tree.rs
@@ -136,7 +136,9 @@ impl<F: RichField, H: Hasher<F>> MerkleTree<F, H> {
         let log2_leaves_len = log2_strict(leaves.len());
         assert!(
             cap_height <= log2_leaves_len,
-            "cap_height={cap_height} should be at most log2(leaves.len())={log2_leaves_len}"
+            "cap_height={} should be at most log2(leaves.len())={}",
+            cap_height,
+            log2_leaves_len
         );
 
         let num_digests = 2 * (leaves.len() - (1 << cap_height));
diff --git a/plonky2/src/iop/generator.rs b/plonky2/src/iop/generator.rs
index 80eb0094..a65d1748 100644
--- a/plonky2/src/iop/generator.rs
+++ b/plonky2/src/iop/generator.rs
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ pub(crate) fn generate_partial_witness<
 
     assert_eq!(
         remaining_generators, 0,
-        "{remaining_generators} generators weren't run",
+        "{} generators weren't run",
+        remaining_generators,
     );
 
     witness
diff --git a/plonky2/src/iop/witness.rs b/plonky2/src/iop/witness.rs
index d0e3e7e4..14213d0d 100644
--- a/plonky2/src/iop/witness.rs
+++ b/plonky2/src/iop/witness.rs
@@ -284,7 +284,8 @@ impl<F: Field> WitnessWrite<F> for PartialWitness<F> {
         if let Some(old_value) = opt_old_value {
             assert_eq!(
                 value, old_value,
-                "Target {target:?} was set twice with different values: {old_value} != {value}"
+                "Target {:?} was set twice with different values: {} != {}",
+                target, old_value, value
             );
         }
     }
@@ -324,7 +325,8 @@ impl<'a, F: Field> PartitionWitness<'a, F> {
         if let Some(old_value) = *rep_value {
             assert_eq!(
                 value, old_value,
-                "Partition containing {target:?} was set twice with different values: {old_value} != {value}"
+                "Partition containing {:?} was set twice with different values: {} != {}",
+                target, old_value, value
             );
             None
         } else {