I have about several different types of list that reoccur multiple times in my documents. Though I tried to keep things simple, by just defining the type when it appears, strange glitches appear. For instance, I have one that uses the ☞ (pointing hand) logo, and sometimes that randomly appears in the wrong lists, for reasons I cannot understand.

Below is how I'm defining my lists. I have about a dozen more, this is a sample. Is there some more robust and consistent manner in which I should be defining them, so the settings from one type don't spill over into the other types?
--Joel

%prompt

\definesymbol[bighand][{{☞}}]

\define[1]\prompt{%
    \setupitemize[symbol=bighand]
    \startitemize
        {\it #1}
    \stopitemize
}%

\prompt{What did you learn about today?}

%vocabulary

\startcolumns[n=3]\startitemize[n]
\item word1
\item word2
\item word3
\stopitemize\stopcolumns

%nested outline

\startitemize[1]
    \item some text
    \startitemize[2]
        \item some text
        \startitemize[3]
              \item some text
        \stopitemize
    \stopitemize
\stopitemize

%written answer (produces some lines after the question for writing an answer)

\define[1]\writingbox{%
    \dorecurse{#1}{%
        \hairline%
    }
}

\startitemize[n]
\item Which planet is closest to Earth? \writingbox{4}
\item What is the moon made of? \writingbox{4}
\stopitemize

%materials list

\startcolumns[n=3]\startitemize
\item crayons
\item scissors
\item glue
\stopitemize\stopcolumns

%word search clues (should be simple, but strangely this keeps getting the ☞ logo added instead of showing numbers)
\startitemize[n]
\item a type of hat worn
\item a cold season
\stopitemize