Listening to Martha's mini-rant in a recent episode made me think. If, in one sitting, she breakfasted on Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Frosted Flakes, Trix, Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms, would all that sugar give her a Cereal Coma?
I actually thought I was being original with this but, as always, a Google search proved me wrong 🙁
That's "…Trix, Cocoa Puffs, and Lucky Charms."
Peter
Depends on how much of a Martha rant you're looking for! You don't know how hard it was not to type that comma.
Petey, what episode were you referring to? I must have missed that one.
It was my understanding that, except where required to avoid ambiguity (for example, in the dedication "To my children, my English teacher and the President."), the use or non-use of serial commas was NOT universally agreed upon, at least in English. Different Style Guides make different recommendations. I've always used them, based simply on cadence or rhythm. I think the official term is "prosody." One of the functions of a comma is to insert a pause, and when a serial list is spoken, that final pause is invariably included. Again, at least in English.
The editor for one of my clients always deletes that last comma, and that's his prerogative as an editor. I've never argued about it, and he's never specifically told me "Stop doing that!" So I continue to use them and he continues to delete them.
But then, my Style Guides are over 10 years old. Has the consensus changed? That's why I want to hear what Martha said about this.
