$_=""; if (samanda) {print "eek"} then $_="m"; if (samanda) {print "eek"} the first one tests true, but the second doesn't. Why? samanda? Where is samanda defined? ah ah Whhat it's not defined at all. I though it would be interpreted as : $_="m"; if (s amanda) {print "eek $_"} (to be a little clearer) deparse it