The Brexit coin, Oxford comma or not? Discuss.

The Brexit coin, Oxford comma or not? Discuss.

Regardless of taste in comma usage,  "prosperity with all nations"  sounds clumsy.

That's sort of part of the point.

"Peace, Prosperity and Friendship with all Nations"

Because "Prosperity with all Nations" is clunky this is one reason why you need the comma. So that it's clear that it's "A, B and C".

However because Prosperity with all Nations is clunky that is one reason why you don't need the comma. Because there is no confusion, it can't be "A with D, B with D and C with D".

So on balance, no Oxford comma for me!

I often use the American newspaper style, plenty of commas but no ands. I do this with lists of three or more, it’s rather like speaking. American newspapers do this with just two, which I don’t like.

Peace, Prosperity, Friendship with All Nations.

Except France, obvs.

"For the glory of the Imperium"

"Johnsons quatenus oculis videre potest"

I often use the American newspaper style, plenty of commas but no ands. I do this with lists of three or more, it’s rather like speaking. American newspapers do this with just two, which I don’t like.

Peace, Prosperity, Friendship with All Nations.

Except France, obvs.

Apparently it is a Jefferson quote.

The 50 pence coin, unveiled on Sunday, bears the date of Jan. 31, 2020, on which the nation will leave the EU, and the inscription, "Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations." The quote echoes words President Thomas Jefferson included in his first inaugural address when he listed "peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations" as an essential principle for his administration.

Better to have quoted him directly, this just sounds like a cheesy Christmas card.

That makes a change, I suppose. Winning the peace.

Which would you rather have, a cheesy Xmas card or an Orwellian "United in Diversity"?

I have been listening to old tunes from Velvet Underground lately (while doing taxes - its perfect!)

And a grammatical question has come up.

In Venus in Furs, there is a line, which I will show you first without punctuation:

Strike dear mistress and cure his heart.

Yet, it is ambiguous.

Is it:

Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart.

Here, the mistress is being addressed and doing the striking.

or it is 

Strike dear mistress, and cure his heart.

The comma is optional, but here the imperative form is being directed at a third party and by watching this action, the subject's heart is cured.

I'm leaning towards the first option, as the second is kind of convoluted.

But anyway, something for you to think about as the weekend begins and Valentine's Day is coming soon. : )

Here is the song: Venus in Furs - Velvet Underground

And to those of you who sneer at the use of commas - here is proof that they are important!!@!

Read the book!

Read the book!

Haha - well that is one way to find out.  Googling Severin is another.

But neither is as entertaining as posing that question here. : )

You know, Lou Reed said ViF was the funniest dirty book he had ever read.

So that speaks well for it already, but time spent on the erg in my rowing dungeon is probably a deeper and more complete lived experience. 

IIRC it's quite a short book. And much easier to read than the famous books at the other end of that particular spectrum, the ones by de Sade.

Tempting indeed! 

But I already have a hot date lined up for this weekend. So the tantalizing literature will have to wait awhile longer...  : )

Ubiquitousness

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