The Commacide Conspiracy

Well, last night, three lawyers at the Tasting Room agreed the comma is not to be used before the "and" at the end of a series. Fortunately, I am internally driven and need no external confirmation as to my theories, which is often very amusing for all involved.

While I appreciate the inklings of democratic rule, one should be well advised that the Greek philosophers listed democracy as one of the worst forms of government - where mob rule reigns. The Tower of Babel comes to mind.

I came across more on my comma use and found that MY comma is called the "Oxford" comma, being required by the Oxford University Press. It is called the "Harvard" comma in the U.S. after the Harvard University Press. What's your missing comma called? The Eats & Shoots Black Hole?

I also learned that the impetus for removing the comma comes from newspapers, notably the New York Times, keeping true to its conspiratorial nature. The theory Oxford proponents propound is that the papers like to save space. Me, I think they are trying to save ink. You may remember the recent attempt to foist the spelling "employe" upon us.

Below are the style manuals which insist upon MY comma being used. Before that, consider:

"I would like to thank my parents, Ayn Rand and God." (An actual dedication.)

The Times once published a description of a Peter Ustinov documentary: "highlights of his global tour include encounters with Nelson Mandela, an 800-year-old demigod and a dildo collector."^[8]

"Tom, Peter and I went swimming."  

I ordered turkey, salami, peanut butter and jelly and roast beef."

Style guides supporting mandatory use

The following American style guides support mandatory use of serial comma:

The United States Government Printing Office's Style Manual

After each member within a series of three or more words, phrases, letters, or figures used with and, or, or nor.

• "red, white, and blue"
• "horses, mules, and cattle; but horses and mules and cattle"
• "by the bolt, by the yard, or in remnants"
• "a, b, and c"
• "neither snow, rain, nor heat"
• "2 days, 3 hours, and 4 minutes (series); but 70 years 11 months 6 days (age)"

Wilson Follett's Modern American Usage: A Guide (Random House, 1981), pp. 397-401

What, then, are the arguments for omitting the last comma? Only one is cogent – the saving of space. In the narrow width of a newspaper column this saving counts for more than elsewhere, which is why the omission is so nearly universal in journalism. But here or anywhere one must question whether the advantage outweighs the confusion caused by the omission ...

The recommendation here is that [writers] use the comma between all members of a series, including the last two, on the common-sense ground that to do so will preclude ambiguities and annoyances at a negligible cost." [1]

Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition (University of Chicago Press, 2003), paragraph 6.19

When a conjunction joins the last two elements in a series, a comma ... should appear before the conjunction. Chicago strongly recommends this widely practiced usage....

• "She took a photograph of her parents, the president, and the vice president."
• "I want no ifs, ands, or buts."
• "The meal consisted of soup, salad, and macaroni and cheese."

Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers, 5^th Edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987, Chapter 3.68:

	A series of three or more words, phrases, or clauses (like this) takes a comma between each of the elements and before a conjunction separating the last two: Dishes had been broken, cutlery lost, and carpets damaged.

William Sabin, Gregg Reference Manual, 8^th Edition, New York: Glencoe, 1993, paragraph 162:

When three or more items are listed in a series, and the last item is preceded by and, or, or nor, place a comma before the conjunction as well as between the other items.

---

Council of Biology Editors, Scientific Style and Format, 6^th Edition, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1994, Chapter 4.15.6:

To separate the elements (words, phrases, clauses) or a simple series of more than 2 elements. A comma should precede a closing "and" or "or." This rule applies to adjectives each modifying the following noun. The tomatoes, beans, and peppers were planted in April.

The American Medical Association Manual of Style, 9th edition (1998) Chapter 6.2.1

Use a comma before the conjunction that precedes the last term in a series.

• Outcomes result from a complex interaction of medical care and genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors.
• The physician, the nurse, and the family could not convince the patient to take his medication daily.
• While in the hospital, these patients required neuroleptics, maximal observation, and seclusion.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th edition (2001) Chapter 3.02

Use a comma between elements (including before and and or) in a series of three or more items.

• the height, width, or depth
• in a study by Stacy, Newcomb, and Bentler

The Elements of Style (Strunk and White, 4th edition 1999)

In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last.

Harvard University Press

Then, there is the British:

1. A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, by Fowler, who is my favorite. I like his attitude - like get rid of the French spelling of "colour," etc. His view is the British should get over it - the American spelling is better. Damn snobs.
2. Oxford University Press, see above, style manual

The enemy

Those against the Oxford comma: New York Times, The Economist (which is very disturbing), Associated Press Stylebook (p. 274)., and Eats, Shoots & Leaves.

I suppose my surprise at flagrant commacide is that I rarely touch a New York Times and rejected the stupid style manual for journalists we had at the Tech Valley Times. Please, when you are talking about a specific person in a specific job, she is the Dean. How much more ink does a capital D cost? For more on the conspiracy, see Case of the Serial Comma

For the the case involving the origins of the spelling of "employe" you can look to a big business conspiracy - General Motors wanted to save money in its printing! Now, they are cutting corners in their publications - Unsafe At Any Read.