Or if, like most geeks, you have an aversion to a visible tie, you can make the interface much cleaner with:

    use Attribute::Handlers;
    use Tie::Cycle;
    sub UNIVERSAL::Spinner : ATTR(SCALAR) {
        tie ${$_[2]}, 
            'Tie::Cycle', 
            [map $_."\b" x length, @{$_[4]||[qw(\ | / -)]}] 
    }
[download]

And then whip up custom spinners very elegantly, as the need arises:

    $|=1;

    my $spinner : Spinner;
    print $spinner for (1..10000);

    my $morse_blinker : Spinner( qw(! : .) );
    print $morse_blinker for (1..10000);

    my $wobbler : Spinner( "\)", "\(" );
    print $wobbler for (1..10000);

    my $flexer : Spinner( '< ', ' >' );
    print $flexer for (1..10000);
[download]