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Don't Kill the Oxford Comma!
Salon ^ | THURSDAY, JUN 30, 2011 | MARY ELIZABETH WILLIAMS

Posted on 07/22/2011 10:38:30 AM PDT by nickcarraway

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To: nickcarraway

In 1960, Miss Paula Wells, in her first year of teaching 4th grade at the Stewart Avenue Elementary School, taught me that the Oxford comma was optional.

Nothing else was optional at the Stewart Avenue Elementary School in 1960.

Thank you, Miss Wells!


61 posted on 07/22/2011 12:07:39 PM PDT by Jim Noble (Freedom is the freedom to say 2+2=4. If that is granted, all else follows.)
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To: Hootowl99

LOL! Not really. :)


62 posted on 07/22/2011 12:16:38 PM PDT by Constitution Day
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To: Thane_Banquo

I’m with you.
I’ll continue using a serial comma regardless.


63 posted on 07/22/2011 12:17:40 PM PDT by Verbosus (/* No Comment */)
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To: Lee'sGhost

The entire CD is pretty good. I got into this band after hearing them on Pandora One a couple of years ago.

I really have no idea what the lyrics mean, but you can find them here: http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858674277/


64 posted on 07/22/2011 12:23:25 PM PDT by Constitution Day
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To: nickcarraway

I want the world to adopt picas as the primary unit of measurement.


65 posted on 07/22/2011 12:30:54 PM PDT by GSWarrior
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

I think it was during the Crimean War.


66 posted on 07/22/2011 12:50:25 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: MinuteGal

Is it just me, or is it less appropriate for males to over use exclamation points, than females?


67 posted on 07/22/2011 12:57:53 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: cumbo78

My understanding is that only Biblical names, such as Jesus and Moses, do not need an apostrophe and an “s” to show possession. Therefore, Jesus’ and Moses’ are correct, but you’d type “The Williams’s house” or “Les’s girlfriend.”


68 posted on 07/22/2011 1:25:11 PM PDT by Nea Wood (Silly liberal . . . paychecks are for workers!)
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To: nickcarraway

69 posted on 07/22/2011 3:29:20 PM PDT by steelyourfaith (If it's "green" ... it's crap !!!)
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To: nickcarraway

Can we, continue to use, the Shatner comma?


70 posted on 07/22/2011 3:35:23 PM PDT by tacticalogic
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To: tacticalogic

What about the Victor Borge “phonetic pronunciation” comma?


71 posted on 07/22/2011 3:39:05 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Nea Wood

My understanding is that your understanding is mistaken.

The nuns drilled the Oxford comma into my subconscious, as well as: “NO extra “S” for ANY pluralization of ANY word ending in “S”. A simple apostrophe is adequate for the literate.” Sister Anna, St. Anthony’s Elementary ca mid 1960’s.


72 posted on 07/22/2011 5:44:00 PM PDT by Don W (You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze.)
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To: Don W

Then why is it Bridget Jones’s Diary and not Bridget Jones’ Diary?


73 posted on 07/22/2011 6:40:40 PM PDT by Nea Wood (Silly liberal . . . paychecks are for workers!)
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To: InvisibleChurch
They came and took away the commas but i did nothing because I wrote run-on sentences and had no need to separate my thoughts and ideas so my pillow is very comfortable. Then they took away the period but I did nothing because I only twittered - then they took away capitalization but i did nothing because i was a fan of a a milne butnowtheyhavetakenawaymyspacekeyandthereisnoonetohelpme
I'm officially a grammar nerd, as I found that to be hilarious.
74 posted on 07/22/2011 6:43:10 PM PDT by rmlew ("Mosques are our barracks, minarets our bayonets, domes our helmets, the believers our soldiers.")
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To: Nea Wood

Because Hollywood is clueless?

Just because you can find an example or two of an error does not change the fact that it is an error.

Irregardless, the irredundancy of this conversation is irredundant. Relevantly speaking, that is.

(Just a couple of common examples of other peeves that are commonly accepted errors).


75 posted on 07/22/2011 7:34:56 PM PDT by Don W (You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze.)
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To: InvisibleChurch

Brilliant! I’m still Laughing Out Loud.


76 posted on 07/22/2011 9:27:34 PM PDT by Ercoupe
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To: MinuteGal

Thanks! Leni!

I also love! And use ! a lot!


77 posted on 07/22/2011 10:03:41 PM PDT by JulieRNR21 (The Constitution is an instrument to protect 'We the People' from the government..)
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>> so write ‘a, b and c’ not ‘a, b, and c’.”

The comma as shown in the former is somewhat of a legal, and logical necessity opposed to being just a legal and logical one.


78 posted on 07/22/2011 10:11:20 PM PDT by Gene Eric (*** Jesus ***)
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To: InvisibleChurch

They took away some letters too...lol I have a hard time deciphering emails from my children, they don’t write- they text.


79 posted on 07/22/2011 10:19:53 PM PDT by Tammy8 (~Secure the border and deport all illegals- do it now! ~ Support our Troops!~)
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To: InvisibleChurch

a a milne reference is perhaps more likely e e cummings; yet, your post is very fun!


80 posted on 07/22/2011 11:57:12 PM PDT by Ercoupe
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