OP here - thanks all for the comments - so yes, it looks like I don't know xargs as well as I thought I did. I'll update the post to be more accurate. As for t

OP here - thanks all for the comments - so yes, it looks like I don't know xargs as well as I thought I did. I'll update the post to be more accurate. As for the points about a bad example, I am fully aware that it is extremely contrived. The point was to not confuse anyone with commands they don't already know. I'm wary of posting examples that necessitate people learning 4-5 new commands when their focus is learning just one.