--option{value} problem

[Barrie Stott]

I tried to use --option{value} with my Debian/woody Linux 2.4.18
system with lout 3.24. Below is a transcript of the call to lout and
the error messages generated.
--------------------------
lout --"@InitialFont{Palatino Base 12p}" --"@InitialBreak{adjust 1.4fx hyphen}" 
/tmp/ZZ1.lout > /tmp/x1.ps
lout file "Base":
     1,0: cannot open file Base
lout file "12p}"":
     1,0: cannot open file 12p}"
lout file "1.4fx":
     1,0: cannot open file 1.4fx
lout file "hyphen}"":
     1,0: cannot open file hyphen}"
lout file "/usr/lib/lout/include/bsf" (from "/tmp/ZZ1.lout" line 3):
    33,5: fatal error: exiting now
--------------------------

The head of file ZZ1.lout contains the following:
--------------------------
@SysInclude     { langdefs } # language definitions
address@hidden     { tbl      } # For use with Tables
@SysInclude     { bsf      } # BasicSetup package
@SysInclude     { dsf      } # DocumentSetup package
@SysInclude     { docf     } # OrdinarySetup extension

@Doc @Text @Begin
--------------------------

I didn't know about --option{value} until Jeff used it recently in an
example in an email. Does the fact that I am getting problems with
@InitialFont used in this way mean that it is not an option? If it can
be used as an option and someone can show me what I am doing wrong
then I can simplify my normal way of working.

Barrie.