for loop with variable

% var=" a b c "

% for aa in $=var; do echo $aa; done
a
b
c

% for aa in [a-c]; do echo $aa; done
c

... In the last 'for' it wants to find files whereas in the previous it 
knows it's looking at text.  Could the previous be done on one line?  
That is, the range '[a-c]' would be understood to be just text, not a 
file glob?