Why the serial (Oxford) comma is important

[bankside]

I should have added, . . . except in the interests of clarity. The Associated Press and Canadian Press stylebooks decry the Oxford comma, but make it clear it should be used if necessary, to avoid possible confusion.

Many such rules hark back to the days of hand-set type, then hot-metal publishing, when even an extra comma could kick a column of type down an extra line and cause no end of trouble. It was no joke trying to make a stick of type fit when it was made of lead, not electrons.

That's the sort of skinflint "make more room for advertising" mentality which has apparently invaded both American and Canadian English publications.

I, insist, not only, on the, oxford, comma, which is necessary, but also, on truly, superfluous commas, just to, annoy them. And perhaps the rest of you. But, it can't be, helped.

In the age of the internet, publishing a properly punctuated sentence, replete with commas, incurs no additional cost. Paper need not be saved. So put the fucking commas in already.

Bankside has spoke.

 

[Keelandson]

That's the sort of skinflint "make more room for advertising" mentality which has apparently invaded both American and Canadian English publications.

Not so. Junking the Oxford began with hand-set type (and hand-set justified across the column) 200 or 300 years ago, not only to help prevent overset type but because it is, indeed, the first rule of the Department of Redundancy Department.

 

[belamyi]

I would find it more sensible if the absence of a comma implied that what is before is directly linked to what comes after, an apposition, and therefore the comma would separate.
If someone objects that the Oxford comma is also a mark of intonation, give me a break, you can't rely on the underdeveloped notation known as punctuation as we have today to give a precise indication of how to read any text, and people anyway intonate as they want, usually with their asses and in any case following their experience as speakers, not as notation readers.

 

[HunterM]

Is this a proper way to use Oxford/Harvard comma?

"My dinner guests are Agelina, Brad, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

 

[Críostóir]

Is this a proper way to use Oxford/Harvard comma?

"My dinner guests are Angelina, Brad, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

Cute example. But yes, this is a complex case, where the third item in the list is 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'. Construed that way, the comma after 'Brad' is an Oxford (or serial) comma. And you can't really construe it as a four-item list without an Oxford comma because 'Mr.' doesn't stand on its own.

It would have to be '...Angelina, Brad, Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith' for that to work. I personally would put a comma after 'Mr. Smith' there, but I've been in the trenches fighting for the serial comma since the 1960s.

Now, if your sentence was 'My dinner guests are Angelina, Brad, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith,' you'd definitely be using a serial (Oxford) comma, because the italics indicate a title, in this case that of a certain film that Brangelina starred in together.

 

[borg69unimatrix]

I find it rather refreshing to see you guys talking about comma's...

Normally on these sites, you're only talking about your colons. LOL

I'm going to stop reading when you get to periods.

 

[belamyi]

I find it rather refreshing to see you guys talking about comma's...

Normally on these sites, you're only talking about your colons. LOL

Well, it's difficult to have your health endangered by the level of alcohol in intakes of semen.

 

[belamyi]

I'm Not Sure Why, But I Find It More Annoying When People Capitalize The First Letter Of Every Word. I Find It Incredibly Difficult To Read.

http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/0,1518,742661,00.html

 

[DonQuixote]

Nicht spreche sie Deutsch.
Or something like that.

 

[LilBit]

http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/0,1518,742661,00.html

I can deal with capitalization of nouns. It was even common in English until fairly recently. I've read lots of English texts where nouns are capitalized, and although it does make me pause a bit at first, I can get used to it. But when every single damn word is capitalized, it makes me want to stick a spork in my eye.

 

[HunterM]

But when every single damn word is capitalized, it makes me want to stick a spork in my eye.

Now that I know what a spork is, I'll help you stick it to the writer's eye. Why hurt yourself for someone else's mistake?

I hate it when an email's Subject line DOES NOT capitalize the first letter of every word. I'll stick a spork to that writer's eye as well.

 

[belamyi]

I can deal with capitalization of nouns. It was even common in English until fairly recently. I've read lots of English texts where nouns are capitalized, and although it does make me pause a bit at first, I can get used to it. But when every single damn word is capitalized, it makes me want to stick a spork in my eye.

..............

 

[EJMichaels]

I realize this thread is old, but I just couldn't resist posting a visual explanation of the Oxford comma. They say men are more visual, so maybe this will help.

 

[Ram]

 

[mbamike]

I realize this thread is old, but I just couldn't resist posting a visual explanation of the Oxford comma. They say men are more visual, so maybe this will help.

Yes, this helps a lot! Thanks!

 

[palbert]

We know what he intended, right?

Just saying....

gsdx, Tim Tams are on their way to Maine!

 

[winterknight]

But what if your parents actually were Ayn Rand and God?

 

[DonQuixote]

eJ,
Wonderful visual aid, there.

 

[EJMichaels]

(double post)

 

[EJMichaels]

DQ, I thought you had to read without the images! (and thanks)