The ‘Oxford comma’ is an optional comma before the word ‘and’ at the end of a list:
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It’s known as the Oxford comma because it was traditionally used by printers, readers, and editors at Oxford University Press. Not all writers and publishers use it, but it can clarify the meaning of a sentence when the items in a list are not single words:
These items are available in black and white, red and yellow, and blue and green.
The Oxford comma is also known as the ‘serial comma’.
Thanks Brian S
When I took a writing course in college, my instructor was pretty adamant about avoiding the Oxford comma. He was of the school that excess punctuation was to be avoided. I still follow that maxim, but iI can see the value of clarifying a list.
Without the Oxford comma, I like bread, butter and bread and butter. With the Oxford comma, I like bread, butter, and bread and butter. In mathspeak, I like x such that x ϵ {bread, butter, bread and butter}. Which version is least likely to be misinterpreted?.
I thought I understood until you introduced math. Then I blacked out.
Then my day is complete.
That’s a coma.
Well, the comma, ah, the comma, that small, dangly, splitter of segments, can be a blessing, a breath of fresh air, or perhaps just a slight, barely detectable pause in conversations, both short and long, sensible or non-sensical, deep or shallow, worthy of thought or not, all this talk for the apostrophe on the ground.
Well, said, Rev,
I always put the comma in just to make sure there is no doubt about what is in the list.
Well, I, just, don’t, know. 😉
Can you tell that I have no clue of what I am talking aboot?
Commas? Oh, I, just, love, commas, I, use, them, all, the, time, in, everything, I, do, why, one, time …
“HaHaHaaaa.” “You guys, just, “REALLY” !!! “CRACK ME UP!!!” “BwaaaHaa-Glgppp-grrgrrrpssptoggghsssppt” ..(“That’s the ‘SOUND’, I make, when I’m ‘passing ‘BEER’, THROUGH MY NOSE!!!”) {“Maybe I shouldn’t have *–ditched–* my ‘HighSchool’ ‘English’ classes”]
(Sorry to disappoint you Dad, but a Ditch Digger makes a hell of a lot more ‘money’ than an electronic technician!) (I can make ‘$6.50 an hour’, repairing ‘Big Screen TV’s’, or, $45 bucks an ‘hour’, holding a ‘SLOW’ sign, ON, !!!THE HIGHWAY!!! …”BwaaHaaaGrrrpfffssst…..