Like we’ve talked about on this site before, the battle over using the Oxford comma – is it necessary for clarity, or superfluous and cluttering – will likely never come to an end.
In the case of a different battle, one between a dairy company and its delivery drivers in Maine, the Oxford comma dispute meant doling out a bunch of overtime cash. The company, Oakhurst Dairy, claimed that the drivers were exempt from overtime pay, while the employees argued that’s not what the law says (as written) at all.
Here’s what’s on the books about activities that are NOT eligible for overtime pay:
“The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing storying, packing for shipment or distribution of: agricultural produce, meat and fish product, and perishable foods.”
See the problem?
The drivers only distribute the goods, they don’t do any of those other things (which would make them exempt from overtime pay). The company argued that shipment and distribution are two different things, but without the comma, they look like one single job.
As U.S. appeals judge David Barron wrote, “For want of a comma, we have this case.”
Since all of Maine’s laws are written without the Oxford comma, this may not be the last punctuation-decided case that hits the news. One can hope, anyway.
(h/t: Mentalfloss)
Want more? Check out these other Did You Know articles!
These 10 Facts Should Convince You To Be An Organ Donor
The Best Shots Fired in the Oxford Comma Wars
25 Jokes To Warm Every Grammar Nerd’s Heart
Grammar Nerds, It’s Time to Celebrate
We know you can choose a lot of sites to read, but we want you to know that we’re thankful you chose Did You Know.
You rock! Thanks for reading!
