A Bash shell function to save your fingers from typing "awk '{ print $5 }'" all the time

fawk

# Inspiration: http://serverfault.com/a/5551 (but basically rewritten)
function fawk() {
    USAGE="\
usage:  fawk [<awk_args>] <field_no>
        Ex: getent passwd | grep andy | fawk -F: 5
"
    if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
        echo -e "$USAGE" >&2
        return
        #exit 1 # whoops! that would quit the shell!
    fi

    # bail if the *last* argument isn't a number (source:
    # http://stackoverflow.com/a/808740)
    last=${@:(-1)}
    if ! [ $last -eq $last ] &>/dev/null; then
        echo "FAWK! Last argument (awk field) must be numeric." >&2
        echo -e "$USAGE" >&2;
        return
    fi

    if [ $# -gt 1 ]; then
        # Source:
        # http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-unix-bsd-apple-osx-bash-get-last-argument/
        rest=${@:1:$(( $# - 1 ))}
    else
        rest='' # just to be sure
    fi
    awk $rest "{ print  \$$last }"
} # fawk