I don't generally like foo() much for routines that operate on $_. In this case I added it because I'd've had to if I'd written

'HASH' eq ref ? $_ : {}
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as the question mark is then parsed as a pattern delimiter instead of as part of a ternary. I usually write my comparisons that way around. But here neither the parens nor the variable is necessary as the following eq is unambiguous as to its meaning.

Makeshifts last the longest.