[This code](http://is.gd/iHlFci) ``` rust macro_rules! passthru { ($($t:tt)*) => { format_args!("{}", $($t)*) } } fn main() { passthru!({ macro_rules! foo { ($name:expr) => { concat!("hello ", $name) } } foo!("rust") }); } ``` fails with a nonsense "unknown macro variable `name`". It works if the macro has no captures or if it's defined outside. And you can normally define a macro in an expression. Somehow related to the `format_args!` expansion, but it doesn't occur without the intermediate `passthru!` macro (which represents `println!`, `print!`, or `format!`). And I can't see the expansion because it doesn't get that far.