Do you use a serial (Oxford) comma?

tiredofsametab, 4 months ago

Yes. Things feel out-of-balance without it to me. However, if the meaning is unclear (something something stripping Hitler and Stalin), I will work around it and/or use other punctuation. I think I have a bit of a weird synesthesia thing going on for written text (English or written code (in the programming sense); I don't have it as much in the other languages I read/write, but it isn't absent there, either).

tygerprints, 4 months ago

It makes more logical sense to use the serial comma in this example. Bread, butter, and tax evasion are three separate things. If you leave the comma off, it becomes "bread, butter and tax evasion" suggesting that the butter and tax evasion go together with each other. Give me some butter on my tax evasion, please.

Lath, 4 months ago

I don't use it because I enjoy the chaos.

wjrii, 4 months ago

I want to be able to communicate both ideas:
https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/017/771/the-oxford-comma_52c855ed979ed_w1500.jpg

iAmTheTot, 4 months ago

The latter isn't even a proper use a comma, no? To introduce a list you should use a colon.

quirzle, 4 months ago

Without the Oxford Comma, it's not a list but an appositive phrase. In that context, it's correct usage.

southsamurai, 4 months ago

Eh, in casual situations like this, it depends on if the , registers or not. I’m not wasting attention to go back and add one.

But otherwise, as useful. It helps clarify the difference between ands. Some ands are used to connect two things in the entire list as a unit, so when that is a factor, it helps.

LinkOpensChest_wav, 4 months ago

Same. If it’s something like a text message or a comment on discord or Lemmy, then I don’t really pay much attention. I do try use it consistently in things like work emails or more formal situations, but it doesn’t really bother me if someone doesn’t use it in their communication.

quirzle, 4 months ago

https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/oxford-comma

ThatOneKirbyMain2568, 4 months ago

Haha, this is gold. I'd like to think I fall more into the pedant category (except when something actually matters; then I lean towards moron).

CorrodedCranium, 4 months ago

I use it because it feels like otherwise you are lumping two things together. In your example it would be butter and tax.

Another example could be talking about people:

I’m having Jim, Frank, Ian and Susan over for dinner.

Without the comma I feel like that implies Ian and Susan are in some kind of relationship.

With food:

I had pickles, bacon, ham and cheese for lunch.

That seems to me like someone had a ham and cheese sandwich versus ham and cheese separately.

HeartyBeast, 4 months ago

I was always taught to never use it (UK) - but will use it where there might otherwise be the risk of ambiguity

anon6789, 4 months ago

Always use it.

If I’m listing this, that, and the other, the commas are just a horizontal series of bullet points, so there should be a comma for each item in the list.

Nobody would go:

• This
• That
  The other

FlightyPenguin, 4 months ago

Also a fan of the serial comma, but I don’t think a bulleted list works for your example:

This

• That

• The other

nicetriangle, 4 months ago

Why would you not bullet the first word in that bulleted list?

ThatOneKirbyMain2568, 4 months ago

I think the point is more that without the serial comma, the last two items in the list aren't separated like the others, which (imo) feels like omitting the last bullet point in a list.

EDIT: Fixed a typo.

anon6789, 4 months ago

That helps me understand what the other person was saying in response to my comment now, thanks!

Seeeeee…we all get confused without it!

damnthefilibuster, 4 months ago

I use it. It’s nice.