Why the Oxford Comma is important

[elfs]

I debated, in my last post, writing either

The contractors, Omaha and I ...

or writing

The contractors, Omaha, and I ...

This is known as the Oxford Comma debate.

This is why it matters:

I wish I could give this attribution, but nobody seems to know where it's from.

Comments

[tehrasha.livejournal.com]

Image blocked at work (i wonder why) but if this is the 'strippers, JFK and Stalin' example. YES!

[dossy.livejournal.com]

Uh, attribution is in the bottom-right of the image - aeferg.tumblr.com - specifically http://aeferg.tumblr.com/post/10290286196/grammar-is-important-kids-credit-for-original

I personally, dislike, the Oxford comma, and, prefer, the Shatner comma. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/06/goodbye-oxford-comma-hello-shatner-comma.html

:-)

Seriously, though, most of the examples folks use when illustrating the value of "the Oxford comma" follows this pattern:

"... Noun, ProperNoun and ProperNoun."

In this specific case, I agree, the series (Oxford) comma is necessary. However, if the last three of the list elements are proper nouns, it's not necessary:

"I went to England, Spain and France."

Or, if none of the last three elements in the list are proper nouns:

"At the grocery store, please buy carrots, mangos and limes."

What's worse is when folks use the serial (Oxford) comma before a conjunction when NOT enumerating a list, like:

"I went to the store, and bought a book." FUCK NO WRONG WRONG WRONG. This is NOT an Oxford comma, it's called WRONG WRONGITY WRONG WRONG.

*neck-twitch*

[tehrasha.livejournal.com]

"I went to the store, and bought a book." FUCK NO WRONG WRONG WRONG.

What if the book you bought was not at 'the store'?

[dossy.livejournal.com]

Good question. "I went to the store but I bought a book elsewhere."

Using "I went to the store, and bought a book." doesn't disambiguate whether you bought the book at "the store" or not at "the store," so adding the comma doesn't aid in comprehension.

[pakraticus.livejournal.com]

Too ambiguous and requires too much thought.
I propose prefix notation
(&(England)(Spain)(France))
I(&(went to the store)(bought a book))

[dossy.livejournal.com]

If only we could ...

[fayanora.livejournal.com]

Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse, and helping your uncle jack off a horse.

[slfisher.livejournal.com]

I'd like to thank my parents, Ayn Rand and God.

[dossy.livejournal.com]

Again, "noun, ProperNoun and ProperNoun" ... this is the one and only case where the series (Oxford) comma should be used, before the conjunction ...

[amythis.livejournal.com]

Short version: if it clears things up, add a comma.

Oh, and is it a Snape/Rickman comma, period or ellipsis? E.g.

"You, just, know"

"You. Just. Know."

or "You...just...know."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_candide_/]

Oh, Elf! Thank you, and your commenters, for a hearty laugh tonight! ^_^