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Paul1977:jmh:Yeah, it's definitely used in the US far more. Not sure where I picked it up, but I think in most circumstances it makes more sense than not using it.Paul1977:When I use to teach EFL (English as a Foreign Language) the only time we saw the Oxford comma was in the US teaching materials. UK ones never had it. As I worked for NZ and UK newspapers, we never used it there either.jonathan18: Those who think the use of the Oxford comma should be forced upon all others.I don't force it on others, but the Oxford comma (or serial comma) is awesome!
Yeah, I was joking when I mentioned forcible usage of the serial comma; as it happens, I like it and find it useful in particular situations where it's useful to ensure clarity of meaning, but I'm no doubt not always consistent with when and how I use it!
I like some of the examples on the Wikipedia page on serial commas of potential confusion caused by the use (or not) of them - my favourite:
"The Times once published an unintentionally humorous description of a Peter Ustinov documentary, noting that "highlights of his global tour include encounters with Nelson Mandela, an 800-year-old demigod and a d!ldo collector." This would still be ambiguous if a serial comma were added, as Mandela could then be mistaken for a demigod, although he would be precluded from being a d!ldo collector."
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