c:\@Work\Perl\monks>perl -wMstrict -MO=Deparse,-p -le "my $var = 42; (17, $var, 'a string'); (137, 'd string'); " Useless use of a constant (17) in void context at -e line 1. Useless use of private variable in void context at -e line 1. Useless use of a constant (a string) in void context at -e line 1. Useless use of a constant (137) in void context at -e line 1. Useless use of a constant (d string) in void context at -e line 1. BEGIN { $^W = 1; } BEGIN { $/ = "\n"; $\ = "\n"; } use strict 'refs'; (my $var = 42); ('???', $var, '???'); ('???', '???'); -e syntax OK