# Oxford Comma **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 29, 2013, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254 "2013-03-29T12:23:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/21 "2013-03-29T18:51:47Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Heck with them. It’s recommended by ME! That should be enough for anyone. 🆒 But no one takes _any_ of the Marx brothers seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/22 "2013-03-29T19:13:21Z")
> [@SmartAlecCat](#): > > With the oxford comma: we invited the strippers, jfk, and stalin. > Without the oxford comma: we invited the strippers, jfk and stalin. With the oxford comma: we invited the stripper, jfk, and stalin. Without the oxford comma: we invited the stripper, jfk and stalin. Have fun with your JFK stripper. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/23 "2013-03-29T19:16:35Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > But no one takes _any_ of the Marx brothers seriously. Not even Punctuation Marx? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/24 "2013-03-29T19:23:49Z")
Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma? ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/25 "2013-03-29T20:41:02Z")
I prefer it but don’t have strong feelings about it. Just watch out for ambiguities and rewrite if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/26 "2013-03-29T21:20:51Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > At best you can point out that even back in prehistory they were saying that you could end a sentence with a proposition. You mean like, “I said to the young lady, ‘How about coming up to my cave to see my erotic ivory carvings?’”😉 > [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma? [4 Copy Editors Killed In Ongoing AP Style, Chicago Manual Gang Violence](http://www.theonion.com/articles/4-copy-editors-killed-in-ongoing-ap-style-chicago,30806/) > [@](#): > > Officials also stated that an innocent 35-year-old passerby who found himself caught up in a long-winded dispute over use of the serial, or Oxford, comma had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/27 "2013-03-29T21:48:52Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma? Yeah, I’ve seen those English drama’s too ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/28 "2013-03-29T22:06:02Z")
I don’t even want to tell you about some of the arguments I’ve had with editors about hyphenation. ---
**Author:** ![mbetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@mbetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbetter)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/29 "2013-03-29T22:16:26Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Yeah, I’ve seen those English **drama’s** too :mad: ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/30 "2013-03-29T22:42:26Z")
> [@mbetter](#): > > :mad: yup ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/31 "2013-03-29T23:23:41Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > **NEMO SEZ: KEEP COMMA** [Keep Comma and Carry On](http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-comma-and-carry-on/) ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/32 "2013-03-30T00:54:39Z")
There have been many threads here on the topic and it basically boils down to what \*\*Polycarp \*\*said above. Here is a [synopsis in the Unofficial GQ FAQ](http://www.seiglefamily.com/gqfaq.html#comma). ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@Bob\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_X)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/33 "2013-03-30T01:34:31Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > It’s a comma that appears in a list before '…and the last item". > > The classic example: > > “I’d like to thank my parents, Barney the dinosaur and Donald Trump” - sounds like I’m claiming those people as my parents; the Oxford comma is inserted before the last item and it becomes: > > “I’d like to thank my parents, Barney the dinosaur\*\*,\*\* and Donald Trump” - which is meant to be easier to intepret as a list. The better example (because it actually happened in print) is in the article Northern Piper linked to: from a newspaper story about a documentary on Merle Haggard: “Among those interviewed were his two ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall.” ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/34 "2013-03-30T01:46:18Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I’ve never understood the reflexive hatred for Strunk and White. It’s intended for an audience who wants rules they can apply and for whom rules would make their writing better in every way. It works extremely well for its designed purpose. This should help you understand why The Elements of Style is a [complete failure](http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid-Grammar/25497). The book is a useful test - you are doing well with grammar and style if you can identify the errors in it. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/35 "2013-03-30T04:02:17Z")
Why don’t we solve the issue of parallel series that aren’t and then worry about the Oxford comma. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/36 "2013-03-30T06:07:44Z")
I’ve read this whole thread and I think I’m becoming commatose. (credit: James Thurber) ---
**Author:** ![JLRogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@JLRogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JLRogers)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/37 "2013-03-30T11:07:22Z")
I can’t wait until you guys find out about the Oberlin Colon. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/38 "2013-03-30T11:38:39Z")
> [@JLRogers](#): > > I can’t wait until you guys find out about the Oberlin Colon. A little bit of ginger ale, and everything will be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/39 "2013-03-30T12:00:52Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > [Tom Kane of _Boss_ despises the Oxford Comma.](http://arts.nationalpost.com/2012/09/11/robert-fulford-giving-a-f-k-about-the-oxford-comma/) Thomas Kane, who in reality is the grammar boss: _The Oxford Guide to Writing_, ISBN 0-19-503245-4, at 627. Just be consistent, with either of:[ul] [li]Combined parataxis and coordination, or[/li][li]Completely paratatic, or[/li][li]Completely coordinated, or[/li][li]Commas and semicolons.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254/40 "2013-03-30T20:37:39Z")
> [@Robb](#): > > This should help you understand why The Elements of Style is a [complete failure](http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid-Grammar/25497). The book is a useful test - you are doing well with grammar and style if you can identify the errors in it. It’s not a complete failure and I can point you to several passages in that very article that says that. The vast majority of readers are users who are applying the style info that Pullam doesn’t like much but is not actually wrong and ignoring the grammar, which nobody really needs to care much about. The book is not for people who can spot the errors: it is for people who have no clue. It is written for its audience, unlike any of the many critical articles on it. Nor does that article give a short, readable substitute that real people can and will use. Strunk and White is far, far better than nothing and nothing is the alternative. Advice that is ignored is worthless. Advice that people cannot find is worthless. Advice that is in too complex a form is worthless. Anything that people will use is priceless. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oxford-comma/654254.md?page=3)