... it wouldn't work with 'strict' in use.
Whatever makes you think that? See command line invocation
c:\@Work\Perl\monks>perl -wMstrict -le
which enables full strictures (and also, I must admit, global warnings; not, in general, a good idea, but OK for command line examples). (Update: In general, everything I post on PerlMonks and all the code I write has lexical strictures and warnings fully enabled, with only very specific strictures/warnings lexically disabled. I consider this a Best Practice.)
Give a man a fish: <%-{-{-{-<