Commas freak me out. Half of the time I worry I’m using too many of them in the wrong places, and the other half I worry that I’m not using enough of the little buggers.
Maybe you can sympathize. Then again, maybe you’re a comma king or queen. Maybe you could care less if you use them correctly or not. That’s a healthy attitude–unless you’re in the publishing industry, and in that case your carefree attitude will get you into trouble, as it no doubt did the person in charge of editing Bill Cosby’s new book, which is entitled, if we’re to believe the cover, “Come On People.”
Graphic design, in lots of cases, obviates the need for certain punctuation and capitalization. And there are a lot of headline writing conventions that break rules. This is not one of those cases, however, where commas don’t matter. They matter big time in this case.
“Bill Cosby is either one kinky bastard or a guy who never learned about the comma of direct address,” Bill Walsh, a Washington Post editor, wrote on his blog (Blogslot) recently. Even if the meaning is clear—we know Bill Cosby isn’t into that kind of thing—it’s embarrassing for the writer, editor and publisher.
I bet editors everywhere will have a good laugh over this. But it will also terrify them, because everyone, regardless of his or her comma command, will occasionally screw the pooch.
Hat tip: Blogslot, the very best blog about editing in the entire sphere-o-blogging.
I, tend to use the shit out of commas, but mainly because I believe that run-on sentences are absolutely necessary in allowing me to express whatever it is I need to say, somewhat like a stream of consciousness, but more coherent so that it doesn’t seem like I’m stuttering through my thought process since writing is difficult enough as it is, when I hesitate the communication is over along with my train of thought, and in the end I am usually pretty happy with the way my ideas come across despite the fact that I know someone would feel they have the right to edit my idea when I have clearly spelled it out that way on purpose. What do they think I am, unliterate?
“,will occasionally screw the pooch.”
You mean “Come On Pooches.”
Billiam,
You’ve got a way with words–and commas, too. Keep using the shit outta them commas. You’re coming through loud and clear.