Oxford University Press, the Oxford Comma's natural habitat.
One of the hallmarks of Oxford University is its vaunted University of Oxford Writing and Style Guide, which is THE grammar guidebook for people who want to actually be good writers, rather than space-minded newspaper editors or whatever. Oxford’s most famous contribution to grammar and punctuation is the Oxford comma. Basically, when you’re making a list, you put a comma between every item on the list. For example, “Ron had sushi, wasabi salsa, and wonton chips for dinner.” However, horror of horrors, an Oxford University style guide has dropped the Oxford comma!
The comma usage rule, from Oxford’s branding tool kit, reads as follows: “As a general rule, do not use the serial/Oxford comma: so write ‘a, b and c’ not ‘a, b, and c’. But when a comma would assist in the meaning of the sentence or helps to resolve ambiguity, it can be used – especially where one of the items in the list is already joined by ‘and’ [for example]: They had a choice between croissants, bacon and eggs, and muesli.”
The sharp-eyed editor or editrix in the audience will see that the Oxford comma removal isn’t from the Oxford University Press, but the University of Oxford’s branding tool kit, which is a tool for public relations firms and the like. That’s very true, but an attack on the Oxford comma is an attack on the Oxford comma, and that’s a direct assault on the already fragile castle of good writing. (Yes, it’s a little hyperbolic, but yes, I’m very serious.)
They may have taken away my double-spacing after a period, but they’ll have to pry my Oxford comma from my cold, dead fingertips.
Tags: grammar, commas, punctuation, Oxford comma, Oxford no longer recommends the Oxford comma, Oxford comma use, University of Oxford Writing and Style Guide, University of Oxford branding tool kit, Oxford University Press, English language, grammar issues, serial comma
