Oxford drops the Oxford comma
::revels in Prescriptivist anguish::
Mine is an evil laugh.
Book: I am a Shepherd. Folks like a man of God. Mal: No, they don't. Men of God make everyone feel guilty and judged.
'Safe'
Natter 68: Bork Bork Bork
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
DavidS - Jun 29, 2011 8:31:03 am PDT #14653 of 30001
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
-t - Jun 29, 2011 8:45:59 am PDT #14654 of 30001
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration
Who cares about an Oxford Comma?
t /Arcade Fire
I'm in favor of both game nights and nearby TJs, megan!
Polter-Cow - Jun 29, 2011 8:49:54 am PDT #14655 of 30001
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!
Who cares about an Oxford Comma?
I believe you mean:
Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?
t /Vampire Weekend
You are clearly not hipster enough, -t!
DavidS - Jun 29, 2011 8:51:18 am PDT #14656 of 30001
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
You are clearly not hipster enough, -t!
::repossesses minus-t's ironic facial hair and Budweiser cap::
-t - Jun 29, 2011 8:57:00 am PDT #14657 of 30001
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration
Oh, no, my thick-rimmed glasses are a lie!
Eta: in my defense, that's totally how I hear the lyrics in my head. Weird. Getting te band wrong is vintage me, though.
javachik - Jun 29, 2011 8:58:00 am PDT #14658 of 30001
Our wings are not tired.
Oh no! Not the Oxford comma !!!!! My parents, God and Ayn Rand will be very upset when they hear this!
Delicious example, Sophia.
MsBelle I am so damned happy for you!!
Jesse - Jun 29, 2011 8:58:53 am PDT #14659 of 30001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.
I was arguing about Oxford commas before anyone had ever heard of either Vampire Weekend OR Arcade Fire.
-t - Jun 29, 2011 8:59:38 am PDT #14660 of 30001
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration
I feel like I could use some kind of elite double secret irony to cover my ignorance if I really wanted to. Let's pretend I did that.
Polter-Cow - Jun 29, 2011 9:08:48 am PDT #14661 of 30001
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!
An update to the story clarifies that it's only the University of Oxford style guide, which is run by the PR department, not the Oxford University Press, which one hopes still abides by the comma that bears its name.
Also, as much as I love the Ayn Rand example, the style guide does say you are allowed to use it to avoid confusion. But why use it only sometimes? IT IS MAGIC.
DavidS - Jun 29, 2011 9:14:57 am PDT #14662 of 30001
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
But why use it only sometimes?
Because it is only necessary sometimes.
I don't wear a raincoat every day. Only when it is necessary. See? It's not that complicated. Use the extra comma when it is necessary to avoid ambiguity. That's what commas are for anyway.