Dick,

I thought the omission of the comma in a series like these was a journalistic invention, a way to eliminate what could be an unnecessary comma.

So the Oxford comma predates the journalistic practice?

Marshall

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dick Veit
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 2:36 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: the Oxford comma

You might enjoy this cartoon<http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/oxford-comma-cartoon/> about the "Oxford comma," the controversial comma that precedes the conjunction in a series of three or more items: "eat, drink, and be merry" (as opposed to "eat, drink and be merry"). It is also called the "Harvard comma" and the "serial comma." The cartoon could provoke discussion in a college writing class--perhaps a bit racy for high school.

Similar is the famously ambiguous (and probably apocryphal) book dedication: "To my parents, Ayn Rand and God."

Dick
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