So I’m a bit of a pedant if you couldn’t already tell, and that extends to grammatical snobbery as well as technical and literary.
Part of that is my appreciation for grammar and language in general, as it is a living record of our history. But also it’s fun to tell other people about it. Anyone who knows the difference between ‘who’ and ‘whom’ well enough to correct someone when they use the wrong one knows the exact feeling I’m talking about. We are such awful people. 😂
The Oxford Comma, or serial comma if you’re American, is a comma placed before the ultimate term in a list. It’s used when writing out a list of three or more terms, and helps to distinguish between each item.
Take this example:
I’d like to thank my parents, Ayn Rand, and God.
Vs…
I’d like to thank my parents, Ayn Rand and God.
In the first example, there are three distinct parties involved; in the second, I am Jesus.
As a side-note, that example is a famous one, with about a 30-year history of being turned into a comical phrase. I could digress further, but I’ll leave that until later — helps with my SEO if I leave a link here later. 😂
It’s called the “Oxford Comma” after the Oxford University Press’s style guide which makes reference to it, although curiously, Britain uses it less than the US. Editors sometimes say it interrupts rhythm and flow in a sentence, especially written down, whereas legal contracts are especially fond of it for making meanings clear.
Overall, it depends entirely on personal preference, and you can use either system so long as you don’t mix and match. Whether you embrace the Oxford Comma or shun it, thank Ayn Rand or claim divine parentage, correct people at parties or simply sigh inwardly — it doesn’t really matter.
As for me, I’ll keep my comma close, and God suitably distant in my family tree.