That reminds me, I need to upload and send you guys the picture of us in my sleep cave!
Delurking 1: Because we don't always check our e-mail.
Yes! Totally!
Hee. Sleep cave and my mutant arm!
billytea, I was taught not to use it and, in general, am opposed to it. I do take it on a case-by-case basis, though, and if I think it's required to prevent ambiguity I will use it. But I try not to get myself all wound up in a sentence of such complex construction that I honestly need to use it.
I've stayed with Kristin and DebetEsse. Nilly has stayed with me. I think that's it.
The strongest argument I heard for using the serial comma is that it gives items in a series equal weight. It is the reason I use it even when clarity is not a major concern.
I can't believe I even have an opinion. Pre- buffista it was an arbitrary rule.
As a matter of interest, are there any Americans here opposed to the serial comma?
I'm against it, and it's fussiness will be properly weeded out by the English language's incessant drive towards expedience.
By the same taken I don't use the possessive "s" on a word that ends in "s." Like: Waits' instead of Waits's
Cilantro: No. Yuck. Soapy.
Olives: Yes, Greek, Italian, black, green, fancy, in a can, on a pizza yep.
Muffaletta: If it doesn't have olives it's not a muffaletta!
I've stayed with Kristin
D'oh! See, this is exactly what I meant. Of course you have!
t runs off to edit
And, weighing on on Delurking questions:
Cilantro=YUM
Olives I can take or leave (unsurprisingly, same with muffalettas)
Serial comma= yes, though I will reluctantly abandon it if I must
I learned two spaces after the period and had a very hard time letting go of it in grad school but was finally persuaded to do so. Now I always use one and get annoyed with more.
I go back and forth with the extra possessive s.
Did that many Buffistas live in PDX before last year when I moved out of Oregon? *kicks self* I may have played kickball against one of you and not even realised it.
I met my first Buffistas this year at Comic-Con: Polter-Cow, and EpicTangent. ET was totally random; we pulled her out of a crowd to take a picture of our group in costume, and I commented on her Gothic Charm School shirt.
To address billytea's question, this American is firmly pro-serial comma. I'm a bit of a freak, though, because I also like British spelling. Extra u's, whee! I draw the line, however, at spelling "tire" with a y. That just ain't right. Though I don't know if that's British or just Australian.
By the same taken I don't use the possessive "s" on a word that ends in "s." Like: Waits' instead of Waits's
I was taught to only use the "s" if it is pronounced, so Waits' is fine, but it's Frances's not Frances'. I'm pretty sure I picked that up back in when I was writing my dissertation and had to follow MLA to the letter.