Actually, I give a f**k about an Oxford comma!

In one of the best songs on the self-titled debut album by Vampire Weekend, the song 'Oxford Comma' (hear it here) poses the age-old question of who actually cares deeply about the importance of the aforementioned grammatical element, or words to that effect.

I would like to timidly respond that, actually, I do care about the Oxford comma, while at the same time acknowledging clearly that I may be in a very very small minority indeed in this regard. I take a stand here for the lexicographers, grammarians and other custodians of the English language whose lives have not yet been enriched by the exuberant afropop of Vampire Weekend, but who I am fully sure would stand shoulder to shoulder with me if they had.



I am quite fond of (or, let's face it, pretty obsessed about) commas in general, and worry constantly about their endangered species status within today's society. The Oxford comma, then, is the most endangered of all, being the black sheep of the comma family, and a long-besieged member of that illustrious armoury of punctuational weapons (see the Wikipedia article here). Interesingly (and, yes, I know I must use the word 'interesting' cautiously here), it is also known as the Harvard or Serial comma; I am bemused as to why the US-college-bred band neglected their local university of high repute for its English antecedent (it even works fine if you switch the words and sing the song again - try it!) but I can see why the Serial option was not used, as it makes it sound like a grammatical element that routinely murders random sentences.

Anyway, the Oxford comma is used just before the final entry in a list of items, just before a conjunction like and or or; it is a sort of grammatical traffic cop, telling the reader when to pause and making sure the words and ideas don't pile up gruesomely. It is overkill to use it in a simple sentence list like 'A, B, C and D', but very handy where stuff which otherwise could wander all over the place needs to be kept in neat groups . For example, if I said that last year I enjoyed songs by 'Iron and Wine and She and Him' it is hard, in theory, to tell how many groups or individuals are involved, from two to four, whereas a carefully placed Oxford comma, as in 'Iron and Wine, and She and Him', to my mind, sorts it out easily.

As another example, consider a long and complex sentence like:

Vampire Weekend are clearly influenced, if mostly in a good way, by learning too much about military history, bus routes and architecture, listening to too much Paul Simon and afro-pop and reading too much highbrow literature and poetry.

Ouch, look at all those 'ands'. Now, remembering what the nuns beat in to me many years ago, which is that the function of the comma is to to give the reader a chance to pause and take a breath, lets try it again with two clear and helpful Oxford commas inserted, to minimise the risk of cardiac failure while reading the line.

Vampire Weekend are clearly influenced, if mostly in a good way, by learning too much about military history, bus routes, and architecture, listening to too much Paul Simon and afro-pop, and reading too much highbrow literature and poetry.

Much better? Well worth giving a f**k about?

All I can say is, thank God they haven't gone after the semi-colon (the more majestic cousin of the comma) yet; this summer's Guardian article here worried me enough as it was.