During all this Telus stuff, he seemed to be so calm, so level-headed, so sensible… But Derek has gone irretrievably to the dark side with his endorsement of the serial comma:
Unless you have a specific reason for a particular, single usage in an individual place in a document‚Äîone which you can justify logically in writing to picky editors like me‚Äîuse the serial comma (“pens, pencils, and erasers” rather than “pens, pencils and erasers”)
My God: Derek’s a serial-comma-ist. It’s like having a great conversation with the passenger next to you on a transcontinental flight… and then having him casually drop a reference to how much he’s looking forward to being married in a football stadium by the Reverend Moon along with 500 other lucky couples next weekend.
You can take my CP Stylebook when you pry it from my cold, dead hands, amigo.
I also leave a somewhat longer pause between “serial” and “comma”… while I wait for the red mist to dissipate.
Oh, admit it. When you say that list aloud, there’s a pause — however small — between `pencils’ and `and erasers’.
On the single period issue, it’s you, me and Robin Williams shoulder to shoulder.
In addition to having perfectly respectable non-large glasses, at least you agree with me about the single space after periods.
Right?
Right?!
Also, as long as the style guide or other rules have specified it, I have been content to avoid (and even remove) the serial comma when editing others’ documents. But if my client has no preference, oh, it’s in there, by gum.
Whooee! I always thought that extra comma was called the “Oxford comma.” That’s what I see in that best-sellin’ book all ’bout commas — Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss.
http://tinyurl.com/d7vfw
I figgered out the way around it is t’ put “an’ ” everyplace. Here’s a sentence I wrote up jest today in my boog fight with the Alien Alberts —
“It ain’t up t’ me t’ piss an’ moan an’ plead an’ beg an’ wheedle sum anti-free speech idjit inta doin’ the right thing.”
http://tinyurl.com/drzdr
I do sumtimes use commas but I reckon I don’t use the serial Oxford comma too much. I say one space after the period an’ before the start o’ the next sentence is right. I see more people using no spaces than them usin’ two spaces.
If yer lookin’ fer advice on ‘possterfees, I’m yer man.
If yer a patriotic Canajun, I’d be happy as Larry t’ see yer comments ’bout the Alien Albert separatists over on my boog where I got a feller who’s walkin’ on the fightin’ side o’ me.
Yores trooly,
JimBobby