The Oxford comma precedes “and” in a list of three or more items, as in “Tom, Dick, and Harry”. According to MS Word, one may either use it or not, but should be consistent in any one document.
Without the (now optional, not obsolete) Oxford comma, we write things like:
“I am a grammarian, writer and critic.”
which is (to my mind) less clear than “I am a grammarian, writer, and critic.” As long as Oxford never makes the literal meaning of “literally” obsolete, I suppose I will survive. I will grumble, reminisce and complain; but I will survive.
@Penny Robinson Fan Club: I think the “I’ve” and “we’ve” being spoken by the “character” in the comic do have an apostrophe, but are very small. Go back to the March 8 comic and you can see that they are typically this small in Brevity’s lettering. http://www.gocomics.com/brevity/2013/03/08
People have always used superfluous apostrophes. (e.g. Apple’s for sale), but to my knowledge there is no initiative to “contract” the usage of apostrophes for contractions and possessives.
JMHO, but I think the character is a comma and the the comic is referring to the commas that precedes the “and” in a series of three or more. (like Ronald Davis cited). e.g. “The three musketeers were Athos, Porthos, and Aramis”
Could be either a comma or an apostrophe. But I think “both” because he says “we’ve become superfluous”. With the amount of texting and careless e-writing today, there are many times when both are used wrongly – thus becoming unnecessary except for technical writings. Right write, Susan?
I was trained… blue-penciled, red-circled, and lectured…. NEVER to put an apostrophe before “and” unless it’s to separate a clause from the rest of the sentence.
I proofread my writing, even here, and remove such unnecessary apostrophication (Take THAT, Webster’s!) before printing or posting.
I could have left it?NOW they tell me.
DISCLAIMER:The apostrophe before “and” in ¶ 2 separates a clause and IS necessary.
SusanSunshine Premium Member almost 12 years ago
Who says they’re superfluous?
Get back to work, you!
No more breaks and omissions…
SusanSunshine Premium Member almost 12 years ago
msoedwards’ previous comment wasn’t showing even after I posted…. another GoComics time lapse….
But yeah, I agree. I’ve never heard that!
And I too thought the shirt might mean that the OED or another Oxford reference work had declared some superfluous….
But certainly not HERE
jack fairbanks almost 12 years ago
alas, drinking again. he’s gone so dark since the proofreader purge. hi, shine, forgot to greet you at the sarkosy inkydink!
Varnes almost 12 years ago
i thk its cuz we typ like this nw
Varnes almost 12 years ago
400 years of proper English grammar out the window in less than a decade….
Labyr1nth almost 12 years ago
Grammar’s just grampaw’s wife these days.
RonaldDavis almost 12 years ago
The Oxford comma precedes “and” in a list of three or more items, as in “Tom, Dick, and Harry”. According to MS Word, one may either use it or not, but should be consistent in any one document.
GoodQuestion Premium Member almost 12 years ago
They don’t have a lot in comma but she could make a postrophe happy . . . ☻
cdward almost 12 years ago
A lot of people have no comma sense these days.
Mrs. Peabody almost 12 years ago
Without the (now optional, not obsolete) Oxford comma, we write things like:
“I am a grammarian, writer and critic.”
which is (to my mind) less clear than “I am a grammarian, writer, and critic.” As long as Oxford never makes the literal meaning of “literally” obsolete, I suppose I will survive. I will grumble, reminisce and complain; but I will survive.
Dave Thompson Premium Member almost 12 years ago
They’ll have to pry my Oxford comma from my dead, non-working keyboard.
Digital Frog almost 12 years ago
She could do worse, at least he’s punctual.
konradh almost 12 years ago
http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/apostrophe
docredbird almost 12 years ago
@Penny Robinson Fan Club: I think the “I’ve” and “we’ve” being spoken by the “character” in the comic do have an apostrophe, but are very small. Go back to the March 8 comic and you can see that they are typically this small in Brevity’s lettering. http://www.gocomics.com/brevity/2013/03/08
People have always used superfluous apostrophes. (e.g. Apple’s for sale), but to my knowledge there is no initiative to “contract” the usage of apostrophes for contractions and possessives.
JMHO, but I think the character is a comma and the the comic is referring to the commas that precedes the “and” in a series of three or more. (like Ronald Davis cited). e.g. “The three musketeers were Athos, Porthos, and Aramis”
imbaldeagle almost 12 years ago
Could be either a comma or an apostrophe. But I think “both” because he says “we’ve become superfluous”. With the amount of texting and careless e-writing today, there are many times when both are used wrongly – thus becoming unnecessary except for technical writings. Right write, Susan?
Lyons Group, Inc. almost 12 years ago
An apostrophe is just a comma that worked its wayup to the top.
Hakuna Matata almost 12 years ago
Comma to the top!
SusanSunshine Premium Member almost 12 years ago
I was trained… blue-penciled, red-circled, and lectured…. NEVER to put an apostrophe before “and” unless it’s to separate a clause from the rest of the sentence.
I proofread my writing, even here, and remove such unnecessary apostrophication (Take THAT, Webster’s!) before printing or posting.
I could have left it?NOW they tell me.
DISCLAIMER:The apostrophe before “and” in ¶ 2 separates a clause and IS necessary.
SusanSunshine Premium Member almost 12 years ago
Baldy…. you always write right!
SusanSunshine Premium Member almost 12 years ago
Hi Nazz! S’OK, you did now.
SusanSunshine Premium Member almost 12 years ago
But… sniffle…. Varnes doesn’t say “hi” to me any more….
SusanSunshine Premium Member almost 12 years ago
X! …. yes!
Itapostrophes always a pleasure…though you havenapostrophet given me many chances lately.
Good to see you.
SusanSunshine Premium Member almost 12 years ago
Comma ♫ comma comma ♫ comma Comma chameleon… ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ You come ♫ ♪ and go-o-o… ♪You come ♪ and go. ♫
K M almost 12 years ago
What does he mean, superfluous? He has plenty of jobs in improperly formed plurals!! Or plural’s!!
SusanSunshine Premium Member almost 12 years ago
Pschearer….
LOL…I’ve posted this a few times on a couple of forums, in a general way…
Maybe it’s time again….
If you actually want to reach me…. CLICK HERE.
hippogriff almost 12 years ago
Eats, Shoots, and Leaves: The best book on punctuation around.