I have so many thoughts to share, and so many backup posts to write, but I thought that for this Friday, there's only one real message that we need to get out into the world… and it's that Commas Save Lives!

I was browsing the internet the other day and found a shirt that reads:

"Let's eat Grandma!"

"Let's eat, Grandma!"

Commas save lives

The idea of course is that in the first sentence you're eating Grandma, and in the second you're calling her to dinner.

Commas Save Lives!!! I think cooking your family and dog is murder... but it's Rachel Ray so it's tasty tasty murder.

After talking with the children about this, even the young ones got the idea and started saying things like "Let's eat daddy! or Let's eat, Daddy!"

With a little exploring I found a children book on it I want to share with the kids (they all seem to get the concept)

Called "Eats, shoots & leaves"

It's based on a story about a panda that goes into a restaurant, shoots everyone there, and leaves… when asked why. he points to a dictionary that reads: "Panda: a fuzzy cute creature that eats, shoots and leaves."

Consider also:

My usual breakfast is coffee, bacon and eggs and toast.

Three foods are listed, but it is uncertain which are the second and third. Adding a serial comma removes this ambiguity. With a comma after eggs, the foods are:

1. Coffee
2. Bacon and eggs
3. Toast

With a comma after bacon:

1. Coffee
2. Bacon
3. Eggs and toast

Another example:  

"I want to thank my parents, Bill Nye and The Lord."

vs

"I want to thank my parents, Bill Nye, and The Lord."

This kind of thing is really perfect for my sense of humor.  Do you have any failed punctuation jokes that crack you up?

(This does not imply that I don't make grammar errors, just that they crack me up when I discover them.)

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