When did people start....

[Kumquatqueen]

'be like' for 'would say/be'. Tik Tok English.

Nah, I was told off for that one when I was like a teenager. (see what I did there). 40 years ago. It gives an overall impression of the attitude, rather than simply reporting speech.

 

[Britva415]

People are starting to use the Oxford comma in places where it's totally wrong.

"Green, bowling ball"

This isn't even about whether the Oxford comma is good style or not, or about whether the Oxford comma clarifies or obscures meaning. This is just wrong, because "bowling ball" is the noun.

 

[XerXesXu]

People are starting to use the Oxford comma in places where it's totally wrong.

"Green, bowling ball"

This isn't even about whether the Oxford comma is good style or not, or about whether the Oxford comma clarifies or obscures meaning. This is just wrong, because "bowling ball" is the noun.

???? If it's in a place where it's totally wrong, it's not an Oxford comma, it's a misplaced comma.

 

[TheLobster]

People are starting to use the Oxford comma in places where it's totally wrong.

"Green, bowling ball"

This isn't even about whether the Oxford comma is good style or not, or about whether the Oxford comma clarifies or obscures meaning. This is just wrong, because "bowling ball" is the noun.

It’s a green ball that went bowling, duh.

 

[Britva415]

???? If it's in a place where it's totally wrong, it's not an Oxford comma, it's a misplaced comma.

Sure.

But ask the people who are doing it WHY they put it there.

They'll cite Oxford.

 

[XerXesXu]

Sure.

But ask the people who are doing it WHY they put it there.

They'll cite Oxford.

They may say Oxford told me to do it; I doubt such people would be capable of citing anything.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

It’s a green ball that went bowling, duh.

I'd interpret that as 'Here's the green. Here's the bowling ball. See how I roll the one onto the other.'

Of course if there isn't a bowling green, and they're indoors, it's plain wrong, but it's not a usage I've seen.

 

[StillStunned]

People also have a tendency to throw in commas as a way of emphasising words. As in, a comma indicates a pause, so I'll add a pause here so people know that I was stressing the word. It's like those memes of William Shatner, but with commas instead of full stops.

 

[Britva415]

it's plain wrong, but it's not a usage I've seen.

I started seeing it within the past 12 months and it's happening more and more frequently.

I think it's a "rule" that AI is being trained to employ. And the more AI does it, the more people do it too. Or, at least, the more people uncritically accept it instead of correcting it.

That's what I think is going on.

 

[Britva415]

Stupid, artificial intelligences.

Kent Brockman: "I for one welcome our new, large, language, model, over lords."

 

[Britva415]

They may say Oxford told me to do it

Same thing

 

[TheLobster]

Stupid, artificial intelligences.

Kent Brockman: "I for one welcome our new, large, language, model, over lords."

Anyone who looks at the tagline below my avatar may start to appreciate the magnitude of my ambivalence about this.

 

[anthrodisiac]

Every time I see this "When did people start..." thread pop up, my brain then asks, "But when did people finish?"

Every. Damn. Time.

Sorry, I mean: Every, damn, time. Oxford, ya know?

 

[AG31]

People are starting to use the Oxford comma in places where it's totally wrong.

"Green, bowling ball"

This isn't even about whether the Oxford comma is good style or not, or about whether the Oxford comma clarifies or obscures meaning. This is just wrong, because "bowling ball" is the noun.

I've bumped into some ridiculously obsessive insistence on the Oxford comma, so I'm not well disposed to its defenders, but I don't think you should call this "the Oxford comma." It's just a comma, misused. But maybe you were being ironic?

 

[Britva415]

maybe you were being ironic?

Not really, and neither was my point that "that's an Oxford comma." We're all on the same page that it isn't.

My point was that the Oxford style - which is already a hypercorrection - is now being used to justify an over-over-hyper correction into places where it isn't just a matter of style (and so not-wrong) and it isn't even a matter of disambiguation (and so not-wrong) but where it is simply totally wrong (and so not-even-Oxford).

My point is that this wouldn't be happening at all if machines and people weren't slavishly and unthinkingly applying the superficial appearance of the "Oxford rule style" in inappropriate and wrong places.

I don't see that as ironic, I just see it as accurately describing the situation. Without Oxford style, there wouldn't be this wrongness because of Oxford style.

 

[XerXesXu]

Not really, and neither was my point that "that's an Oxford comma." We're all on the same page that it isn't.

My point was that the Oxford style - which is already a hypercorrection - is now being used to justify an over-over-hyper correction into places where it isn't just a matter of style (and so not-wrong) and it isn't even a matter of disambiguation (and so not-wrong) but where it is simply totally wrong (and so not-even-Oxford).

My point is that this wouldn't be happening at all if machines and people weren't slavishly and unthinkingly applying the superficial appearance of the "Oxford rule style" in inappropriate and wrong places.

I don't see that as ironic, I just see it as accurately describing the situation. Without Oxford style, there wouldn't be this wrongness because of Oxford style.

I'd never heard of a style guide until I started following AH. We were taught what punctuation marks could/should be used for and left to get on with it. On every paper one submitted, in every subject, through school and university, one would be marked down for poor literacy. That's how literacy was fostered in the dim and far off days of elitism.

 

[AG31]

My point was that the Oxford style - which is already a hypercorrection - is now being used to justify an over-over-hyper correction into places where it isn't just a matter of style (and so not-wrong) and it isn't even a matter of disambiguation (and so not-wrong) but where it is simply totally wrong (and so not-even-Oxford).

I recently heard of a professional certification program docking applicants points in their test essays if they didn't use the oxford comma.

Didn't know about the widened use of the term, but I approve.