See: $ ${ case } in }) echo uname; esac } Linux $ ${ case }x in }x) echo uname; esac } bash: command substitution: line 25: syntax error near unexpected token `x' bash: command substitution: line 25: ` }x)' $ ${ case }x in \}x) echo uname; esac } Linux $
I don't think this should be a syntax error because the closing brace is not in a place it can terminate the command substitution. Oğuz