$ echo "vertical text" | grep -o '.'
Define a function
vert () { echo $1 | grep -o '.'; }
Use it to print some column headers
paste <(vert several) <(vert parallel) <(vert vertical) <(vert "lines of") <(vert "text can") <(vert "be used") <(vert "for labels") <(vert "for columns") <(vert "of numbers")
by David Winterbottom (codeinthehole.com)