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News & ArtsWednesday, March 17, 2010
Life An Argument for the Oxford Comma
Posted by Brendan Kiley on Wed, Mar 17, 2010 at 3:15 PM
This description, published in The Times, of a documentary by Peter Ustinov:
... highlights of his global tour include encounters with Nelson Mandela, an 800-year-old demigod and a dildo collector.
8
That is my new favorite example of why the serial comma should be used. My old fave was "I'd like to thank my parents, George W. Bush and Oprah Winfrey."
Some cocktail-swilling mid-century print editor's aesthetic pet peeve notwithstanding, I think a case can be made that the serial comma, ugly or not, makes sentences like these clearer, and thus, is worthy of use.
Some cocktail-swilling mid-century print editor's aesthetic pet peeve notwithstanding, I think a case can be made that the serial comma, ugly or not, makes sentences like these clearer, and thus, is worthy of use.
10
Even with the serial comma, it's still somewhat ambiguous.... (Mandela is a demigod, but not a dildo collector) The only real way to avoid ambiguity is to change the word order, with or without the oxford comma, as in:
"...highlights of his global tour include encounters with an 800-year-old demigod, a dildo collector, and Nelson Mandela."
"...highlights of his global tour include encounters with an 800-year-old demigod, a dildo collector, and Nelson Mandela."
12
Who gives a fuck?
(Note: This is the comedically appropriate answer, not an indictment of the merits of the argument.)
(Note: This is the comedically appropriate answer, not an indictment of the merits of the argument.)
14
@7,
I didn't realize the serial comma was allegedly ugly.
One practical reason to avoid it is to save space, which is supposedly why the Associated Press doesn't use it.
I didn't realize the serial comma was allegedly ugly.
One practical reason to avoid it is to save space, which is supposedly why the Associated Press doesn't use it.
17
Fuck, I've always used it, and I thought that people who didn't use it were just punctuationally challenged.
On the other hand, Mandela spent a lot of time in prison during the apartheid era, so there's no telling what he picked up there.
On the other hand, Mandela spent a lot of time in prison during the apartheid era, so there's no telling what he picked up there.
19
LoL - Ok, this is now my new favorite argument for the serial (Oxford) comma. My previous favorite was a dedication line from a book: "I'd like to thank my parents, Ayn Rand and God."
21
@ 20. Wish I could, but sources say the sentence came from some TV listings in 1998 for "Planet Ustinov"—it's probably not digitally archived.
22
If I ruled the world, the Oxford comma would be required by law. But then my world wouldn't be nearly as funny as this one, in which Mandela is a very old dildo-collecting demigod.
23
As a general rule, I don't use a final comma in a series. But this only proves that it's rules that are stupid, particularly when they're applied without flexibility.
And I agree with prior statements that the comma wouldn't really have helped that sentence all that much. It's just flat-out poorly-written to begin with.
And I agree with prior statements that the comma wouldn't really have helped that sentence all that much. It's just flat-out poorly-written to begin with.
24
As a general rule, I don't use a final comma in a series. But this only proves that it's rules that are stupid, particularly when they're applied without flexibility.
And I agree with prior statements that the comma wouldn't really have helped that sentence all that much. It's just flat-out poorly-written to begin with.
And I agree with prior statements that the comma wouldn't really have helped that sentence all that much. It's just flat-out poorly-written to begin with.
25
I think potentially hilarious sentences like this one make an even stronger argument for the complete elimination of the serial comma.
27
I actually have always thought a *lack* of the serial comma seemed uglier. It feels imbalanced to leave out the comma after several of them.
30
Not only is the serial comma a requirement, but despite John E. McIntyre's bizarre lapse, a comma is required before a final 'too," too.
31
The comma in series is most useful when its absence is necessary for sense, as in "I would like to introduce my parents, Jane and John.
32
Fault lies with the writer, not the comma.
... highlights of his global tour include a dildo collector, an 800-year-old demigod, and Nelson Mandela.
Not nearly as funny.
... highlights of his global tour include a dildo collector, an 800-year-old demigod, and Nelson Mandela.
Not nearly as funny.
34
So let's add the serial comma and see what we get:
"... highlights of his global tour include encounters with Nelson Mandela, an 800-year-old, demigod, and a dildo collector."
Now, Nelson Mandela is only an 800-year-old demigod, but not a dildo collector. Much better.
"... highlights of his global tour include encounters with Nelson Mandela, an 800-year-old, demigod, and a dildo collector."
Now, Nelson Mandela is only an 800-year-old demigod, but not a dildo collector. Much better.
35
@32, the fault lies on the writer, yes... but for the lack of the comma, not because of the ordering of the items in series. However, your ordering does indeed reduce the chance of a lulz worthy interpretation.
@23/24, the addition of the comma would definitely make the sentence mean what it actually should mean.
@25, eliminating serial comma would cause more problems, actually.
@23/24, the addition of the comma would definitely make the sentence mean what it actually should mean.
@25, eliminating serial comma would cause more problems, actually.
36
I agree with Timmytee: I always figures people who didn't use the serial comma didn't learn how to write in school. Without that last comma, you just look uneducated.
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