diff --git a/crates/nu-cmd-extra/src/extra/filters/update_cells.rs b/crates/nu-cmd-extra/src/extra/filters/update_cells.rs
index d0b0eab194..a27cafa78b 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cmd-extra/src/extra/filters/update_cells.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cmd-extra/src/extra/filters/update_cells.rs
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ impl Iterator for UpdateCellIterator {
         match self.input.next() {
             Some(val) => {
                 if let Some(ref cols) = self.columns {
-                    if !val.columns().iter().any(|c| cols.contains(c)) {
+                    if !val.columns().any(|c| cols.contains(c)) {
                         return Some(val);
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/conversions/into/value.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/conversions/into/value.rs
index e209b0ad9f..f35e56f5f4 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/conversions/into/value.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/conversions/into/value.rs
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ impl Iterator for UpdateCellIterator {
         match self.input.next() {
             Some(val) => {
                 if let Some(ref cols) = self.columns {
-                    if !val.columns().iter().any(|c| cols.contains(c)) {
+                    if !val.columns().any(|c| cols.contains(c)) {
                         return Some(val);
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/formats/to/nuon.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/formats/to/nuon.rs
index 1b5728acd7..034e6c5b33 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/formats/to/nuon.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/formats/to/nuon.rs
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ pub fn value_to_string(
         Value::Int { val, .. } => Ok(format!("{}", *val)),
         Value::List { vals, .. } => {
             let headers = get_columns(vals);
-            if !headers.is_empty() && vals.iter().all(|x| x.columns() == headers) {
+            if !headers.is_empty() && vals.iter().all(|x| x.columns().eq(headers.iter())) {
                 // Table output
                 let headers: Vec<String> = headers
                     .iter()
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/griddle.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/griddle.rs
index 6475c2111c..447eba1976 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/griddle.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/griddle.rs
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ fn convert_to_list(
     let mut iter = iter.into_iter().peekable();
 
     if let Some(first) = iter.peek() {
-        let mut headers = first.columns().to_vec();
+        let mut headers: Vec<String> = first.columns().cloned().collect();
 
         if !headers.is_empty() {
             headers.insert(0, "#".into());
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/did_you_mean.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/did_you_mean.rs
index 4996c83282..1e97d1dc13 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/did_you_mean.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/did_you_mean.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
-pub fn did_you_mean<S: AsRef<str>>(possibilities: &[S], input: &str) -> Option<String> {
-    let possibilities: Vec<&str> = possibilities.iter().map(|s| s.as_ref()).collect();
+pub fn did_you_mean<'a, 'b, I, S>(possibilities: I, input: &'b str) -> Option<String>
+where
+    I: IntoIterator<Item = &'a S>,
+    S: AsRef<str> + 'a + ?Sized,
+{
+    let possibilities: Vec<&str> = possibilities.into_iter().map(|s| s.as_ref()).collect();
     let suggestion =
         crate::lev_distance::find_best_match_for_name_with_substrings(&possibilities, input, None)
             .map(|s| s.to_string());
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/mod.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/mod.rs
index bea42a16b5..a271a63c92 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/value/mod.rs
@@ -1035,7 +1035,9 @@ impl Value {
                                 return Ok(Value::nothing(*origin_span)); // short-circuit
                             } else {
                                 if from_user_input {
-                                    if let Some(suggestion) = did_you_mean(&val.cols, column_name) {
+                                    if let Some(suggestion) =
+                                        did_you_mean(val.columns(), column_name)
+                                    {
                                         return Err(ShellError::DidYouMean(
                                             suggestion,
                                             *origin_span,
@@ -1420,19 +1422,7 @@ impl Value {
 
                                 match val {
                                     Value::Record { val: record, .. } => {
-                                        let mut found = false;
-                                        let mut index = 0;
-                                        record.cols.retain_mut(|col| {
-                                            if col == col_name {
-                                                found = true;
-                                                record.vals.remove(index);
-                                                false
-                                            } else {
-                                                index += 1;
-                                                true
-                                            }
-                                        });
-                                        if !found && !optional {
+                                        if record.remove(col_name).is_none() && !optional {
                                             return Err(ShellError::CantFindColumn {
                                                 col_name: col_name.to_string(),
                                                 span: *span,
@@ -1452,19 +1442,7 @@ impl Value {
                             Ok(())
                         }
                         Value::Record { val: record, .. } => {
-                            let mut found = false;
-                            let mut index = 0;
-                            record.cols.retain_mut(|col| {
-                                if col == col_name {
-                                    found = true;
-                                    record.vals.remove(index);
-                                    false
-                                } else {
-                                    index += 1;
-                                    true
-                                }
-                            });
-                            if !found && !optional {
+                            if record.remove(col_name).is_none() && !optional {
                                 return Err(ShellError::CantFindColumn {
                                     col_name: col_name.to_string(),
                                     span: *span,
@@ -1741,11 +1719,13 @@ impl Value {
         matches!(self, Value::Bool { val: false, .. })
     }
 
-    pub fn columns(&self) -> &[String] {
-        match self {
-            Value::Record { val, .. } => &val.cols,
-            _ => &[],
-        }
+    pub fn columns(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = &String> {
+        let opt = match self {
+            Value::Record { val, .. } => Some(val.columns()),
+            _ => None,
+        };
+
+        opt.into_iter().flatten()
     }
 
     pub fn bool(val: bool, span: Span) -> Value {