Good English teachers do…
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ALmost no topic in language is more hotly debated. In many types of professional writing (for example, when I was in law school) we were taught NO to the oxford comma… several other professional style manuals do as well.
That being said, I always use Oxford commas because there is almost NO risk of miscommunications arising when you use one.
So, the debate rages on . . . .
When I was a lawyer (a long time ago) contracts were written entirely without punctuation. I think this was to make them deliberately ambiguous so that the parties would have wiggle room when things went wrong. And lawyers would have opportunities to make lovely large fees when the inevitable litigation began.
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No matter who wins, or who loses, the lawyers always win.
(unless the clients stiff them)
Which is why I got out. I wasn’t sure I was making the world a better place by being a lawyer.
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Well if you are a prof… I think you said you were. THen I went the other way… had a teaching career, and transitioned to law.
Small world huh?
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When we lived in the UK I was reviewing a contract with a solicitor, and he was absolutely horrified when I started putting in punctuation - “But punctuation adds meaning!!!” And I was like, “Yes, that the whole point of it.”
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I have cracked up listening to you two go back and forth. I love when people speak my other nerd language. If you wear the Grantham dinner jacket, please take LOADS of pictures. I will buy Dame Maggie Smith’s pudding if it will cause a rift between you two.
Regarding the Oxford Comma: As a writer, I can tell you that its use is purely optional…except when it isn’t.
Purists who say you should always use it were taught it because then there isn’t risk of confusion. But there are plenty of times leaving it out doesn’t lead to confusion. The important thing is to pay attention to whether confusion is possible or not.
If there is no confusion by leaving it out, the preference these days is to leave it out. But putting it in isn’t wrong if it isn’t necessary…just cautious.
Usually the examples I’ve seen to prove it’s worth isn’t really a good example. Consider the title of the grammar book, “Eats, Shoots, and Leaves”. The Oxford comma only applies to the comma after the “Shoots”. But there is no confusion if I say, “Eats, shoots and leaves”. It would be improper of me to read it wrongly! Instead, people claim it is necessary by also omitting the comma after the word “Eats”. But that is merely changing the sentence, not dropping the Oxford comma!
and then of course, there is this:
Where lack of an oxford comma truly turned out to be worth $5M.
“The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of:”
Is that packing for shipment and packing for distribution or is is packing for shipment or the distribution of…
Th 5 million dollar comma…
(Meanwhile some future Liner, while searching TP for helpful information about V&A’s will, unwittingly, stumble into a punctuation discussion)
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I remember that. Trouble is, there is only one legitimate reading of that sentence, with or without the Oxford comma, so it should have been a non issue. There is an implied comma after the word “shipment”. Any other reading would be improper grammar.
This has been entertaining. For the “regular” V&A dining room, I believe we were there for about 3.5 hours (that was about 16 years ago, so forgive me if my memory is a bit off). The Chef’s Table, which we did in '14 was roughly 5.5 glorious hours.
When I was learning correct English back in school I never heard of an “Oxford Comma” - using it was the only acceptable option. I still use it, and probably will until the day I die.
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One of my favorite books! I seriously bought it for several members of my family for Christmas back when it was first being talked about. None of them appreciated it one bit. I’ve still got my copy, minus the punctuation sticker insert of course - that was put to good use…
Love the way this thread has gone 
Food, Suits, Strippers, Commas, and Milk
I think i lost my way i was looking for the Disney world Forums.
@bswan26 How many Courses was 5.5 hours?
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Ten courses. Each course was introduced by the Executive Chef, and each paired wine was introduced by the Somolier. Each person st the table (we had six) has each course presented to them, simultaneously, by their own server. Several of the dishes were “revealed” or finished at the table.
I consider this thread to be the pinnacle of my discussion forum life . . .
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I also love the Oxford comma.
As a linguist, I just cannot understand why we are taught not to use it.
Makes for some hilarious interpretations though
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Because the Oxford comma, when used without regard of when, is following a rule for the sake of a rule, rather than following a rule for the purpose of clarity, etc. Obviously, when we actually speak, there is no punctuation. Punctuation is meant to provide a means to better reflect the way we speak. But the Oxford comma, in many cases, is completely unnecessary for that purpose.
“Eats, shoots and leaves” cannot be interpreted any differently than “Eats, shoots, and leaves”, so the Oxford comma serves no purpose other than to be pedantic.
But alas, I think I’ll return to our regularly scheduled thread. I could discuss grammar all day, and it does seem distracting, useless and annoying. Or is that distracting, useless, and annoying? 
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