Re: Pet peeve: optional comma
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(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?
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A is clearly correct, but too many people are lazy and ignorant, so B is more common. Said people are too deluded to believe that they're lazy and ignorant, so they insist that B is correct. Thus language evolves...
Classic example of the need for the oxford comma:
"This book is dedicated to my parents, God and Ayn Rand."
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