This is a headline:
Winning, loyalty or immortality?
My brain read it as having the same structure as:
Football, winning and losing.
Thus I did not understand the headline. Later I realized winning, loyalty, and immortality were three options. The headline made more sense. Though if it had a serial comma it would have been obvious from the beginning.
A lot of people don't like to use a serial comma. Wikipedia reveals that the Chicago Manual of Style is for it, while the AP style guide is against it.
I grew up using it and think that it can only help, never hurt. As a professional writer, I dabbled in a phase of omitting it, but I'm back to preferring it.
Aside: I think it's funny that I am a professional writer. We joke at work when judging our ads sometimes, that they look "professionally done." When I was younger the idea of a professional job seemed bigger than it does now.
And for the record, the article itself is one of the best by Simmons that I can remember.
i'm with you on the comma. that's how i learned it and that's how i teach it.
ReplyDeletealso, i was anticipating this simmons article more than any one he's ever written.
Did you see Stephen Colbert argue about this with Vampire Weekend last night? It was pretty funny, with Colbert on the side for using a serial/Oxford comma:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/310042/june-03-2010/vampire-weekend