variable access

I have register_globals = off and whenever I try to access a variable I MUST use $_SERVER["var"], $_POST["var"], etc... Is there a way to just simply access the variable as $var instead? I don't want to turn on register_globals but I like to have short variable names... Someone has told me that I can simply do a: $newvar = $_POST["var"]; I have tried that and it doesn't work. Is it my configuration or is it simply because I have register_globals set to off? Whenever I create variables, I have to refer to them using $_SERVER["var"], is that necessary? Please Help. Sim