Oxford Comma

[Richards]

One of my Christmas presents from my gaming group was a T-shirt with a logo reading: "The Oxford Comma Preservation Society: Defenders of Tradition, Form, and Clarity." They know me well!

Johnathan

 

[Aeson]

Are you defending from gun toting pandas?

 

[Umbran]

Are you defending from gun toting pandas?

Once we figure out where the comma goes, we can answer that question.

 

[reelo]

This

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

This

Or when the lack of an Oxford Comma cost a dairy $5 million.

Oxford Comma Dispute Is Settled as Maine Drivers Get $5 Million (Published 2018)

And state lawmakers have dispensed with commas altogether in the relevant provision of the law.

www.nytimes.com

Famously, in 1872 Congress changed the Tariff Act from this exemption-
fruit plants, tropical and semi-tropical for the purpose of propagation or cultivation
To this one-
fruit, plants, tropical and semi-tropical for the purpose of propagation or cultivation

Now, that's not an Oxford comma issue, but the inadvertent comma (which meant that all fruit and plants were now exempt) cost taxpayers the equivalent of $40 million before it was fixed.

Punctuation- it's all fun and good to mock the pedants with your cool texting and emojis, until you realize punctuation can matter.

 

[Guest 85555]

The panda eats shoots and leaves.
The panda eats, shoots, and leaves.

The thing that always bothered me about this example is Panda's can't shoot guns. So there is never going to be a person who reads that sentence (provided we are not talking about an anthropomorphic panda), and misreads A as B. Also that sentence without the Oxford comma is "The panda eats, shoots and leaves", so even if it is an anthropomorphic panda, there isn't much ambiguity in the sentence without the oxford comma. My feeling is if people want to use the oxford comma in every instance, they are free to do so. I think there is a better argument to be made to use it when it helps avoid ambiguity when context doesn't make the meaning clear (but I also have to admit, I like ambiguity in writing).

 

[Guest 85555]

Oh heck, not this conversation again! I can literally quote every post in advance!

I think more blood has been shed among writers over this issue than any other.

 

[aco175]

The thing that always bothered me about this example is Panda's can't shoot guns. So there is never going to be a person who reads that sentence (provided we are not talking about an anthropomorphic panda), and misreads A as B.

Maybe The Panda is the name of someone like a hitman. Like The Jackal.

 

[Guest 85555]

Maybe The Panda is the name of someone like a hitman. Like The Jackal.

Then you can just say "The panda" rather than "The Panda"

 

[Guest 85555]

Maybe The Panda is the name of someone like a hitman. Like The Jackal.

Also I would say you likely know from context, without the commas, if you are reading about a hit man, that he shoots a gun and leaves (unless his thing is he eats bamboo shoots and leaves)