jQuery Hover example

normal.js

// $(fn) shorthand for $(document).ready(fn)
$(function() {
	// Hover is a handy $ function that takes two functions, the first for when the mouse goes in and the other for when it goes out
	$('.navcontainer li').hover(function() {
		// this in a $ event handler will refer to the element raising the event
		$('.' + this.id).addClass('thecolor');
	}, function() {
		$('.' + this.id).removeClass('thecolor');
	});
});

overcomplicated.js

// $(fn) shorthand for $(document).ready(fn)
$(function() {
	// Generates a function to class {x}Class methods on elements with a class matching the id
	var colorRelated = function(n) { 
		// Note how we're returning a function here, which will in turn be executed by $
		return function() { $('.' + this.id)[n + 'Class']('thecolor') }
	};
	
	// Hover is a handy $ function that takes two functions, the first for when the mouse goes in and the other for when it goes out
	$('.navcontainer li').hover(colorRelated('add'), colorRelated('remove'));
});