Maybe you’ve seen the list of grammar bloopers based on the “walks into a bar” joke setup. The list is sometimes credited to one Jill Thomas Doyle, but I haven’t been able to find who she is. Nor can I figure out which is the original posting, which is why I’m not linking to it. Use the Google, Luke.

The first joke on the list goes like this:

An Oxford comma walks into a bar, where it spends the evening watching television, getting drunk, and smoking cigars.

The Oxford comma, sometimes known as the series comma, is the one after the word drunk. More precisely, it’s the one that comes before the conjunction (and or or) in a list of three or more items.

Some style guides recommend using the Oxford comma only when not using it would be confusing. I think that’s one of the more confusing grammar rules I’ve read. I use the Oxford comma unless my client’s house style specifies otherwise. It can’t hurt and might help.

You may have read about the famous Oxford comma lawsuit a couple of years ago. Here’s the story from The New York Times, which, ironically, does not use the Oxford comma.

As far as I know, the Oxford comma is the only punctuation mark ever to serve as the title of an alt rock song. (Let me know if you know otherwise.)

Why Oxford? Everyone agrees that the name comes from Oxford University Press, but it’s hard to find an explanation of when or how the term originated. Here’s one blogger’s attempt.

I almost skipped this first “walked into a bar” example because I don’t want to start an argument. People on social media may get their knickers in a wad, but in fact use of the Oxford comma is a matter of style.

If you’re writing in an academic discipline or for a specific publisher, follow the style guide. If you’re on your own, you can follow my recommendation to use the Oxford comma, or you can decide never to use it. Just be consistent.