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I hate the serial comma.

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I know when I was in grammar school, we were taught to use a comma after every word in a serial list except the last word before <span style="font-style: italic">and</span>. Such as, "I like Triumphs, MGs and Jags."
However, it seems to be proper now to say, "I like Triumphs, MGs, and Jags." I still don't use the comma before <span style="font-style: italic">and</span>.
And I really don't like MGs.
 
Hoo-boy - now you've ripped it!

If you haven't already, you need to read the wonderful tongue-in-cheek work by Lynne Truss - <span style="font-style: italic"> Eats Shoots & Leaves </span> for "The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation". This, from her book:

"There are people who embrace the Oxford comma and people who don't, and I'll just say this: <span style="font-style: italic"> never </span> get between these people when drink has been taken."

And, for the record, I do like commas!

See Here for reasons for usage (page 3).
 
The page wouldn't load, must've been one comma too many in it.
 
Mickey Richaud said:
And, for the record, I do like commas!
Click to expand...


Then you will love James Taylor's <span style="font-style: italic">Handyman</span>.
 
Guess the song:
", , , , , chameeeeleooooon"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Give up?
"Comma" Chameleon......
~ducks and runs~
 
Gee Bill, I thought Mickey would give you a hard time about the MG comment. Looks like you dodged a bullet making a controversial comment. :jester:
 
Banjo said:
Guess the song:
", , , , , chameeeeleooooon"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Give up?
"Comma" Chameleon......
~ducks and runs~
Click to expand...

An extra "Comma" in there Banjo, at least the way Boy George says it!... don't be incurring any bad "Comma" there!! :jester:
 
GregW said:
Gee Bill, I thought Mickey would give you a hard time about the MG comment. Looks like you dodged a bullet making a controversial comment. :jester:
Click to expand...

Did think about it.

But I'm just back from a week in the Smokies, and feelin' a mite charitable!
 
Why did I look at that page? Yikes, now I know how to use commas (I think), but drats, the subject of my old nemesis, the semi-colon, came up once again and I still do not know how to deal with it.
 
Thanks for confirming that the serial or Oxford comma is not incorrect. I have nearly always used it, and was called on it by a jerk on another list. It almost makes me want to forward the page to him, but I don't think I want to be in contact with him again.
 
I still think the Harvard or Oxford or serial comma is a PITA. Now the semicolon! That is a <span style="text-decoration: underline">man's</span> punctuation!

And yes, I have the <span style="font-style: italic">cahonnes </span>to wear a pink shirt when I want.



I guess we wouldn't be talking like this on a Vette forum, huh?



An aside, a group of friends were on their way to New Orleans to party when they stopped at a bar en route. The bar had karaoke so the guys decided to participate, fueled by their liquor. Well, the audience was mostly biker dudes and the only song they recognized on the list was <span style="font-style: italic">Younger Than Springtime</span> from South Pacific. Go figure. The biker dudes loved it. "...gayer than laughter, am I" brought down the house. Who would'a known they were gay bikers and thought the song was for them.

Only in New Orleans.
 
If we used serial commas when I was a kid, the nun would take us back to <span style="font-style: italic">The Cloak Room </span> and give us <span style="text-decoration: underline"> The Strap! </span> :shocked:

Nowadays, I throw one in once-in-a-while, when I feel like walking on the wild side. :laugh:
 
But, Bill, wouldn't you think that, given the education of those sisters, she would've known about the option for serial comma usage in lists, multiple phrases, and numbered subjects, and wouldn't your mom or dad stand up against her when she went into one of her, seemingly constant, diatribes about the use of multiple or serial commas, too many commas, or not enough commas in a sentence?

hehehehehe
 
Of course, the potential is there that, though possibibly a bit longer, I could've written a sentence using more than 11 commas, and might even have, given the time, accomplished more with fewer words, phrases, or multiple meanings, aka metaphores, attached to those words, phrases, and metaphors.
 
I use commas when I have to. As for bills MG comment, I didn't know anyone liked MGs. I just thought there were folks out there who couldn't afford Triumphs and had to settle for MGs.
 
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