The Oxford Comma

I am a champion of the proper use of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I admit that I am guilty of the unorthodox use of apostrophes when I bust out a double contraction. I purposefully and improperly misspell certain words, like "grrrls" and "birfday". But I am consistent. And consistency, even when using improper Engrish, rules the day.

I am a proponent of the Oxford comma (also known as the serial comma), which is the comma that immediately precedes an or, and, or nor in a list of three or more. For an example, check out that last sentence - or the next one. Today I went to work, out to eat, to the bar, and then back home.

I find that its use is on the decline. It is no longer used in journalism. And I rarely see it in other forms of print any longer.

It saddens me but it really shouldn't. Engrish has gone through so many changes. And has changes still yet to be made. In fact, our dialect changes with small nuances every year. In 50 years it will be so different than it is today. In 500 years I doubt a person from my era could even keep up with a conversation of the new dialect, just as someone from 500 years ago would have trouble understanding us today.

Somewhere along the way the Oxford comma will die. If the trend holds steady it will be inevitable. So goes it I suppose.

100% | 174.73 lbs. (177.0 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 63.29% (231 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.