Pet peeve: optional comma
 

(A) I had pancakes, eggs, and sausage for breakfast.
(B) I had pancakes, eggs and sausage for breakfast.

The missing comma in (B) is optional. However, it really irritates me when it's missing. Why? I don't know.

Does this irritate anyone else?

Re: Pet peeve: optional comma
 

gg

Re: Pet peeve: optional comma
 

It irritates me a great deal. Many stalwarts have sought to convince me that, in fact, it does not belong there. They are wrong.

Its absence is visually infuriating, and not remotely in line with actual speech.

Re: Pet peeve: optional comma
 

The most aggravating thing about this is that (B) is the correct way to write according to the Associated Press.

Re: Pet peeve: optional comma
 

I used to always go with (B), but got sick of being corrected and explaining to people that both were acceptible, so I just use (A) now.

Why are you so in favor of the extra keystroke?

Re: Pet peeve: optional comma
 

The OCD in me shares your disdain for (B).

Re: Pet peeve: optional comma
 

Recourse to the AP strengthens the OP's disdain.

Re: Pet peeve: optional comma
 

I am a journalism major. Leaving off the last comma is actually correct AP style. I lose 2 points everytime I leave it in (this is when listing stuff. I'm going to masturbate, clean the kitchen, and then mow the lawn is different and correct.)

Re: Pet peeve: optional comma
 

The serial/oxford/harvard comma is useful for removing abiguity. If the writer writes so poorly that they can't remove abiguity without use of a serial comma, I'd prefer that they use it. It bugs me to read it, but not to write it.

Freakin

Re: Pet peeve: optional comma
 

You left yourself open for...

"if a writer writes so poorly that they mispell ambiguity twice in two sentences, I'd prefer they use a spell checker."