What's your actual use case? You can save a bunch of characters by not branching (in your nonsensical example): 
$_ = '12';
s/\d/n/g;s/n+/m/;

[download]
Update: Or, if you pay 3 more (still saving 2 from your 'ideal') you can get identical algorithmic behavior: 
$_ = '12';
s/\d\d+/m/||s/\d/n/;

[download]
LTS FTW

Thanks to Anonymous Monk, realized my brain misread the comparator. However, the real use case is still relevant. As penance, optimization of the nonsensical example: 

$_ = '12';
s/\d+/$&>10?'m':n/e;

[download]

#11929 First ask yourself `How would I do this without a computer?' Then have the computer do it the same way.

In reply to Re: Escape Quote-Like Operators by kennethk
in thread Escape Quote-Like Operators by MentalAbsence

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