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they didn't say syntax, they said Python idiosyncrasies. Knowing move/copy rules in python counts as that. It's something that isn't intuitive unless you know python, ex: the matrix question. An experienced dev who isn't a python person would pick the intuitive choice, see the matrix is malformed, then Google how to clone objects in python.

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On the other hand, how many languages do you know where arrays are passed by value?

My primary language (Erlang) does. I assume all functional programming languages do.

That's true. I suppose my next argument is that seeing matrix.append(row) on its own line signals strongly that this is not a functional language.

Is that true? I thought most functional programming languages did call-by-reference. I mean, if you have immutable data you can't tell the difference (outside of performance).

Under the hood it's probably by reference, but the semantics are by value. By reference indicates that the original value can be changed in the called function.

I think. Not a language lawyer.

lol, the same mistake can be made in a lot more languages~

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