> The problem with the awk example here specifically is that you're mixing two different languages (shell and awk) Two languages, but three environments altoge

> The problem with the awk example here specifically is that you're mixing two different languages (shell and awk) Two languages, but three environments altogether. I'm running an awk script, in a remote shell script, in a local shell script. So a string with a meta-character or keyword within the awk script needs to be triply escaped. And there's no shell_escape(shell_escape(awk_escape(a literal dollar one $1))) available to make it less painful.