Calling Neville .... The Oxford Comma

[Leonie]

I was reading a news article on BigPond's page about the kerfuffle over 'the Oxford comma'. No much news today by the look of it. Now I ask you, who could leave that alone. Not me.

Here's a link to the long winded article. All this fuss over such a little thing.
http://bigpondnews.com/articles/OddSpot ... 32377.html

The Oxford Comma
Leonie Parker © 2011

The argument sprang from a little change to Oxford’s comma
and the comma-philes are grumpy they began a Twitter storm.
Stuck before ‘and’ is excessive but some think that it’s expressive,
and they argue nothing’s changed and it has always been the norm.

As the comments start to spiral and the argument goes viral
all the punctuation experts start to weigh into the fray
I’ve a dusty Funk and Wagnall in a duffle (with a bad smell)
and it doesn’t help me much because it’s not got much to say.

So I’m here to check with Neville as a wordsmith he is no dill
and I reckon he can tell me what is right and what is wrong
‘cause he’s got his Oxford book there and I bet he’ll have a look there
then together we can tell ‘em,. We will stand out from the throng.

[warooa]

It's enough to send a bloke commatose . . .

No, but seriously, wasn't it Boy George who sang "Comma Comma Comma Comma Comma Chameleon"?

Marty

[Neville Briggs]

I think that this debate is about the use of a comma in a series,

for example.

I had a cup of coffee, a donut, a biscuit, and a mintie. ( comma before and )

others hold that latest practice is to put;

I had a cup of coffee, a donut, a biscuit and a mintie. ( no comma before and )

As I undertand it, punctuation was invented as a method of helping the reader grasp the rhythm of the written speech.
With the perversity that seems to infect the human mind, some want punctuation to be an obstacle race for the writer to contend with. I fear they have a bad case of mental constipation.

I think we don't need to worry about the things we should not do. Better to get on with the thing we should do, which is to produce clear and engaging communication; especially applicable to poetry.

[Bob Pacey]

Whole lot of kerfuffle about nothing really.


Bob