diff --git a/crates/nu-parser/src/errors.rs b/crates/nu-parser/src/errors.rs
index 9abe91162..fc2d05d0a 100644
--- a/crates/nu-parser/src/errors.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-parser/src/errors.rs
@@ -72,6 +72,14 @@ pub enum ParseError {
     )]
     UnexpectedKeyword(String, #[label("unexpected {0}")] Span),
 
+    #[error("Unknown operator")]
+    #[diagnostic(code(nu::parser::unknown_operator), url(docsrs), help("{1}"))]
+    UnknownOperator(
+        &'static str,
+        &'static str,
+        #[label("Operator '{0}' not supported")] Span,
+    ),
+
     #[error("Statement used in pipeline.")]
     #[diagnostic(
         code(nu::parser::unexpected_keyword),
@@ -413,6 +421,7 @@ impl ParseError {
             ParseError::FileNotFound(_, s) => *s,
             ParseError::ReadingFile(_, s) => *s,
             ParseError::LabeledError(_, _, s) => *s,
+            ParseError::UnknownOperator(_, _, s) => *s,
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs b/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
index 364409762..3b478eafe 100644
--- a/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-parser/src/parser.rs
@@ -4504,6 +4504,55 @@ pub fn parse_operator(
         b"||" | b"or" => Operator::Boolean(Boolean::Or),
         b"xor" => Operator::Boolean(Boolean::Xor),
         b"**" => Operator::Math(Math::Pow),
+        // WARNING: not actual operators below! Error handling only
+        pow @ (b"^" | b"pow") => {
+            return (
+                garbage(span),
+                Some(ParseError::UnknownOperator(
+                    match pow {
+                        b"^" => "^",
+                        b"pow" => "pow",
+                        _ => unreachable!(),
+                    },
+                    "Use '**' for exponentiation",
+                    span,
+                )),
+            );
+        }
+        equality @ (b"is" | b"===") => {
+            return (
+                garbage(span),
+                Some(ParseError::UnknownOperator(
+                    match equality {
+                        b"is" => "is",
+                        b"===" => "===",
+                        _ => unreachable!(),
+                    },
+                    "Did you mean '=='?",
+                    span,
+                )),
+            );
+        }
+        b"contains" => {
+            return (
+                garbage(span),
+                Some(ParseError::UnknownOperator(
+                    "contains",
+                    "Did you mean '$string =~ $pattern' or '$element in $container'?",
+                    span,
+                )),
+            );
+        }
+        b"%" => {
+            return (
+                garbage(span),
+                Some(ParseError::UnknownOperator(
+                    "%",
+                    "Did you mean 'mod'?",
+                    span,
+                )),
+            );
+        }
         _ => {
             return (
                 garbage(span),