If % interpolated, printf would be kind of hard to use, wouldn't it?
This does not explain why % does not interpolate; rather it shows that the choice of % as a meta character in printf is a bad one given that % is a sigil. If pritnf used a different meta character (^ for example), then this would work: 
printf "^d\n", $x;  # no problem
printf "%d\n", $x;  # interpolate, no problem
printf '^d\n', $x;  # ok
printf '%d\n', $x;  # does not interpolate, ok too

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So, you can make % interpolate without making printf any harder to use (using ^ instead of % is not harder, just different), you just rather keep printf the way it is (so that people don't get angry).

In reply to Re: Re: Why doesn't % interpolate? by abstracts
in thread Why doesn't % interpolate? by diotalevi

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