#!/bin/bash # weirdvars.sh: Echoing weird variables. var="'(]\\{}\$\"" echo $var # '(]\{}$" echo "$var" # '(]\{}$" Doesn't make a difference. echo IFS='\' echo $var # '(] {}$" \ converted to space. Why? echo "$var" # '(]\{}$" # Examples above supplied by Stephane Chazelas. exit 0