Yesterday morning this GalleyCat editor discovered that the University of Oxford Public Affairs Directorate’s Writing and Style Guide urged its writers to avoid using the Oxford comma. Amused by this tidbit of information, we dashed off a light and unduly frivolous summer post about the topic.
Within hours, thousands and thousands of readers had launched a passionate debate about the future of the Oxford comma. At the same time, the University of Oxford Press (OUP) reminded us that the press “is a commercially and editorially autonomous organization” from the University of Oxford Public Affairs Directorate. In fact, the OUP permits the thoughtful use of the Oxford comma.
We were proud to host this impromptu conversation about the craft of writing and we were inspired by the overwhelming response to this post. However, we also felt it was appropriate to write a follow up post stressing these clarifications.
FULL DISCLOSURE: This GalleyCat editor has always preferred to write without the Oxford comma.