The 'Oxford comma' is an optional comma before the word 'and' at the end of a list:

We sell books, videos, and magazines.

It is so called because it was traditionally used by printers, readers, and editors at Oxford University Press. Sometimes it can be necessary for clarity when the items in the list are not single words:

These items are available in black and white, red and yellow, and blue and green.

Some people do not realize that the Oxford comma is acceptable, possibly because they were brought up with the supposed rule (which Fowler would call a 'superstition') about putting punctuation marks before and.

I use the Oxford comma as a matter of course, for the sake of consistancy. It does clarify when the words , or some of the words, in the list are not single words.

I didn't know it was an Oxford comma, though.

The 'Oxford comma' is an optional comma before the word 'and' at the end of a list:

We sell books, videos, and magazines.

It is so called because it was traditionally used by printers, readers, and editors at Oxford University Press. Sometimes it can be necessary for clarity when the items in the list are not single words:

These items are available in black and white, red and yellow, and blue and green.

Some people do not realize that the Oxford comma is acceptable, possibly because they were brought up with the supposed rule (which Fowler would call a 'superstition') about putting punctuation marks before and.

I use the Oxford comma as a matter of course, for the sake of consistancy. It does clarify when the words , or some of the words, in the list are not single words.

I didn't know it was an Oxford comma, though.

Neva heard of it till I saw it here.

But, as I say, I am, a prolific user.

Well I never knew it was called the Oxford comma either, but I often use it to add clarity, and I think that's a good enough reason.

Yelling for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days produces enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

I haven't tested it myself but if it is on the internet it must be true

23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their bums.

Yelling for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days produces enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

I haven't tested it myself but if it is on the internet it must be true

I would have thought that it would take less time than that.

Noise pollution; a contributor to global warming?

23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their bums.

Amazing. Someone, somewhere, has decided to conduct a survey into reasons for photocopier failure and 23% of those surveyed stated that someone sat on it to photograph his/her backside. I would have thought that the majority of failures would occur in a commercial environment. If so, how many employees are going to put their hands up and admit they sat on the machine (rather than give some other unlikely excuse)?

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A survey once revealed that 90% of survey claims are either false, based upon misinterpretation of the data, or unreliable due to biased survey format.

(Darn. I wanted to use an Oxford comma, and I didn't get the chance.)

23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their bums.

Amazing. Someone, somewhere, has decided to conduct a survey into reasons for photocopier failure and 23% of those surveyed stated that someone sat on it to photograph his/her backside. I would have thought that the majority of failures would occur in a commercial environment. If so, how many employees are going to put their hands up and admit they sat on the machine (rather than give some other unlikely excuse)?

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A survey once revealed that 90% of survey claims are either false, based upon misinterpretation of the data, or unreliable due to biased survey format.

(Darn. I wanted to use an Oxford comma, and I didn't get the chance.)

Hmmmm, I don't know for sure, but I feel that the Oxford comma may stretch to use after an "or", not just an "and".....in which case, you could have just used one.

23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their bums.

Amazing. Someone, somewhere, has decided to conduct a survey into reasons for photocopier failure and 23% of those surveyed stated that someone sat on it to photograph his/her backside. I would have thought that the majority of failures would occur in a commercial environment. If so, how many employees are going to put their hands up and admit they sat on the machine (rather than give some other unlikely excuse)?

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A survey once revealed that 90% of survey claims are either false, based upon misinterpretation of the data, or unreliable due to biased survey format.

(Darn. I wanted to use an Oxford comma, and I didn't get the chance.)

Hmmmm, I don't know for sure, but I feel that the Oxford comma may stretch to use after an "or", not just an "and".....in which case, you could have just used one.

Try some"Harvard" commas.

A recent survey has revealed that 43% of all statistics are incorrect.

^There's an echo in this room...

There's an echo in 32.7% of all rooms.

A room full of farts.

FACT...........

Termites produce the most methane causing global warming.

Followed by camels.

Humans don't get a look in.......farts or otherwise.

It's all the "dirty" coal they eat.

Where did you get you stats re camels and termites, Pete? It seems to me that there are far more, dare I say, sheep (for example) than camels. The termites bit doesn't ring true either. Are you sure you are not referring to 'gas' produced as a ratio of a creature's size?

(I dare say a survey would reveal that 75% of other BMs would agree with me.)

Where did you get you stats re camels and termites, Pete? It seems to me that there are far more, dare I say, sheep (for example) than camels. The termites bit doesn't ring true either. Are you sure you are not referring to 'gas' produced as a ratio of a creature's size?

(I dare say a survey would reveal that 75% of other BMs would agree with me.)

As with 92.3% of statistics, it's all in how the results are worded. In this case, I guess that camels and termites produce more flatus per unit of biomass, not as individual contributors to overall CO2 production.... eg 500 kg of camel produces more gas than 500 kg of sheep.

Random fact: if you tally the total biomass of each individual animal species, the deep sea brittle star would probably be the greatest amount. With a population density of one per square metre over 90% of the world's seabed, they outnumber everything else in total weight.

Statistically most members would agree.

^^Harcourt - did I just hear an echo?

(Add me to the 'Ayes' on your list of stats, Tiggs!)

Where did you get you stats re camels and termites, Pete? It seems to me that there are far more, dare I say, sheep (for example) than camels. The termites bit doesn't ring true either. Are you sure you are not referring to 'gas' produced as a ratio of a creature's size?

(I dare say a survey would reveal that 75% of other BMs would agree with me.)

As with 92.3% of statistics, it's all in how the results are worded. In this case, I guess that camels and termites produce more flatus per unit of biomass, not as individual contributors to overall CO2 production.... eg 500 kg of camel produces more gas than 500 kg of sheep.

Random fact: if you tally the total biomass of each individual animal species, the deep sea brittle star would probably be the greatest amount. With a population density of one per square metre over 90% of the world's seabed, they outnumber everything else in total weight.

An Inconvenient Truth..........

Is the inconvenient truth observation your personal view, or do you conduct a survey? (There's an idea for a a couple of other random threads - 'Random Statistics' and 'Random Surveys'.)

Surely "random statistics" and "random surveys" are oxymorons?

A random oxymoron thread would cover them both!

Good idea. I'll start. Military Intelligence. (Can someone add a random fact to that?)

In Ireland we say 'British Intelligence'!

American history

American history

Home of the brave and land of the free.

A kid in a gondola (I was skiing in N America) said "In America 100 years is a long time, in Britain 100 miles is a long way". I thought that was quite good!

Clever and - it seems - true. I understand that some people plan for cafe or wayside stops if they're going more than 30 or 40 miles. (Presumably, this doesn't apply to the motorways!) It must be a heck of a time for those people when they decide to take their cars over to the continent for their first big driving tour.

Clever and - it seems - true. I understand that some people plan for cafe or wayside stops if they're going more than 30 or 40 miles. (Presumably, this doesn't apply to the motorways!) It must be a heck of a time for those people when they decide to take their cars over to the continent for their first big driving tour.

Depending where ya destination may be.

On the continent, best ways to drive are byways.

So much more to see and enjoy.

Forget motorways and such, boring.

A 2007 study found that the average Australian walks about 900 miles a year.

Another study found that the average Australian drinks 22 gallons of beer a year.

That means the average Australian gets about 41 miles per gallon.

Bloody good value that!

Clever and - it seems - true. I understand that some people plan for cafe or wayside stops if they're going more than 30 or 40 miles. (Presumably, this doesn't apply to the motorways!) It must be a heck of a time for those people when they decide to take their cars over to the continent for their first big driving tour.

That is because in England you can drive around in circles for days and nobody really knows where they are....

Eventually, you drive past one of these and stop for instructions.

But, the regulars in the pub will all be pissed and disagree about which direction to send you. You'll accept the advice of the least pissed occupant and head off again.

After hours of meaningless travel you'll finally stop at some nice lady's gate and she'll invite you in for tea. After a fresh belly full of scones and tea you'll head off again with a more positive outlook.

When the evening light starts to fade you'll be forced to find some place to spend the night... And not what you had expected.

In the morning, after shaking the chicken feathers from your blanket, you'll hike to the top of a hill to get a better perspective of the landscape.

And you'll discover you are about 14 km from where you started from two days before.