Oxford Comma?

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Anyway, the Oxford comma is wasteful and increases ink costs along with the entropy of the universe. Don't use it.

Meh, the entropy associated with the event horizons of black holes tops the contribution by anything else in the cosmos by many orders of magnitude. A few extra commas on a backwater planet in a medium-sized galaxy ain't going to make much difference.

My current employer's house style mandates the use of the serial comma, whereas previous employers ruled against its usage. I just go with the flow.

For myself, I use punctuation to try and avoid ambiguity, and to emulate the cadence of how I think the words would be spoken.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Mostly I don't, because it's like deja vu all over again; but it should be used if there are compound elements in the list. I also use commas to control the rhythm of a sentence, so I may use it on other occasions as well.

Besides, in your version of the sentence, that comma is completely wrong and shouldn't be there at all.

That's an example of how I'd use it to control the flow of a sentence.

I prefer italics over quotation marks regarding titles of movies and television shows).

It should be italics; those are main titles. Quotation marks are for chapters in a book, or singles on an album, or short stories and so forth.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Yeah, Italics or Underline, with underline being the necessity of a typewriter that has stuck.

 

[lurok]

Never used it. But I'm a limey.

 

[scotpens]

Some American girls in my Italian class when I spent a month at the Universita per Stranieri in Siena bought our Professor Peanut Butter. It was the first time she ever had it. She seemed surprised with its taste.

Is Professor Peanut Butter a cartoon character?

Peanut butter is as American as apple pie, baseball and The Music Man. For anyone who’s never tasted it before, it ought to taste like, well, peanuts. Unless it’s the kind with sugar and all kinds of crap added to it. And peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches are da bomb!

As for the Oxford comma, generally I use it for clarity unless it’s a short list.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I knew peanut butter is pretty ubiquitous in the English-speaking world. I didn't know it hadn't found its way to other western cultures. The jelly and peanut butter sandwich must be primarily a US-thing as I've never known anyone in the UK consume such a food item, probably because jelly means something different to us, and so the combination sounds weird.

Apparently, the Oxford comma can also be referred to as a Harvard comma.

 

[lurok]

The jelly and peanut butter sandwich must be primarily a US-thing as I've never known anyone in the UK consume such a food item, probably because jelly means something different to us, and so the combination sounds weird.

Only UK denizens I've known consume it are of American stock. Though I doubt even Americans have attempted peanut butter and Nutella, which is big amongst UK students.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I think Americans prefer nutella and marshmallow fluff instead.

 

[Starbreaker]

Yes. It just looks wrong to me, otherwise.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

The jelly and peanut butter sandwich must be primarily a US-thing as I've never known anyone in the UK consume such a food item, probably because jelly means something different to us, and so the combination sounds weird.

Only UK denizens I've known consume it are of American stock. Though I doubt even Americans have attempted peanut butter and Nutella, which is big amongst UK students.

Well, that's probably about 2000 calories and a week's worth of saturated fat, salt, and sugar in one sandwich. Not something people of my age should ever consider eating.

 

[lurok]

Well, that's probably about 2000 calories and a week's worth of saturated fat, salt, and sugar in one sandwich. Not something people of my age should ever consider eating.

^ One sandwich could keep me going for a while.

 

[trampledamage]

I knew peanut butter is pretty ubiquitous in the English-speaking world. I didn't know it hadn't found its way to other western cultures. The jelly and peanut butter sandwich must be primarily a US-thing as I've never known anyone in the UK consume such a food item, probably because jelly means something different to us, and so the combination sounds weird.

No, even with the translation of jelly to jam it still sounds weird and definitely not something I'd ever want to eat

 

[RoJoHen]

You're missing out on something delicious.

 

[Mary Ann]

I went to Catholic schools in Canada and when it comes to commas I was always told that the comma after "and" wasn't necessary. My use of commas is so minimal that I often add some to my written work when I reread it.

My favourite peanut butter anecdote was told by an anthropology professor of mine. He had some colleagues who were working in a remote area in sub-Saharan Africa and they were craving peanut butter sandwiches on white bread. These items came in their next care box, and as they were happily making their sandwiches you can imagine what the locals thought they were spreading on their bread!

 

[RoJoHen]

you can imagine what the locals thought they were spreading on their bread!

I can honestly say that I have no idea what they thought they were spreading on their bread.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

you can imagine what the locals thought they were spreading on their bread!

I can honestly say that I have no idea what they thought they were spreading on their bread.

In Mali and countries round about, I believe they grow groundnuts (peanuts) and use them to make a sauce together with onions, garlic, and other vegetables.

 

[lurok]

you can imagine what the locals thought they were spreading on their bread!

I can honestly say that I have no idea what they thought they were spreading on their bread.

I do But maybe it's a Canuck/Brit thing...

 

[iguana_tonante]

Though I doubt even Americans have attempted peanut butter and Nutella, which is big amongst UK students.

I think Americans prefer nutella and marshmallow fluff instead.

How dare you corrupt the untarnishable splendour of Nutella with such vile substances. Nutella is to be partaken pure and undiluted, so its deliciousness would not be diminished.

Even the use of bread is an unfortunate, but sometimes necessary, addiction.

 

[Shaytan]

This "Oxford comma" is totally illogical and peanut butter is a disgrace.
Next...

 

[iguana_tonante]

Sometimes I really envy your succinctness and clarity of thought.