Buzz
The comma is a punctuation mark surrounded by intrigue. Its origins remain elusive, and the ongoing debates over its modern-day usage have almost become a full-time hobby for self-proclaimed grammar experts. But English majors aren't the only ones tangled up in comma-related confusion.
The US government faces millions in extra taxes due to poorly constructed grammar. Rappers invoke commas to claim copyright infringement. Strippers find themselves involved in a peculiar legal case in a Texas high school. Even Tom Selleck's iconic mustache is caught up in the drama. These are just a few of the surprising controversies ignited by commas.
10. The Second Amendment
The debate surrounding gun rights in the United States often spirals into irrational territory, but the real battleground might lie in the fine details of comma placement. This seemingly small punctuation issue has played a significant role in both clarifying and distorting the meaning of the Second Amendment.
Both advocates and opponents of gun ownership reference the Second Amendment to support their respective views. The Supreme Court has rendered numerous significant rulings, including Dred Scott v. Sandford in 1857 and District of Columbia v. Heller in 2008.
One source of the ongoing dispute over the amendment's meaning is the positioning of two commas. The amendment, as it stands, reads: 'A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.'
Thomas Jefferson was so appalled by the grammatical errors in the amendment that, upon his return from his diplomatic duties in France, he took it upon himself to remove the first and third commas. Unfortunately, by then, the amendment had already been ratified, and no changes could be made.
The commas in the officially accepted version of the amendment divide the text into two separate clauses, each conveying different meanings. This division sparks debate, with one side asserting that the amendment stresses the necessity of a militia, while the other argues it underscores the importance of individual rights.
9. The 1872 Tariff
In 1872, a misplaced comma in an agricultural tariff ignited a controversy that ended up costing the US government millions of dollars.
In 1872, tariffs made up the bulk of federal revenue. President Ulysses S. Grant’s first post-Civil War tariff aimed to boost the economy by reducing the prices of certain manufactured goods. The 1872 tariff also included an exemption for 'fruit-plants.' That was the plan. However, instead of using a hyphen, an incorrect comma was inserted between 'fruit' and 'plants,' creating two distinct categories: fruit and plants, rather than fruit-plants.
The controversy erupted almost instantly, and by 1874, the government decided to let the grammatical mistake stand. The result? A costly blunder amounting to $2 million—or about $40 million in 2014 inflation-adjusted dollars.
8. Overtime Pay Dispute in Maine
Another financial squabble triggered by commas emerged in 2014, when three dairy truck drivers filed a lawsuit against their employer, Oakhurst Dairy, for unpaid overtime wages.
The dairy company asserted that it was within its legal right to withhold overtime pay for the drivers' hours. Maine's labor laws allowed certain exemptions for overtime, including activities such as 'canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of [three categories of goods].'
The core issue in the case was whether the law referred to a single task or two separate ones, which hinged on the presence of a comma after 'shipment.' The drivers argued that the absence of the comma implied that the law only applied to packing, not distribution, meaning they were entitled to overtime pay.
The dairy drivers exploited the legal ambiguity to their advantage, ultimately prevailing in court. Oakhurst Dairy was ordered to pay $50,000 to each of its 127 drivers.
7. Abortion Provider
In 2012, Jessica Duran underwent a late-term abortion, only to be shocked later when she found out that the fetal tissue had been sent to the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) for research without her consent. She filed a lawsuit against the abortion clinic provider, claiming emotional distress.
Once again, a comma—or its absence—played a crucial role in determining the outcome of the case.
The case involved multiple connections of the abortion provider, Curtis Boyd. Apart from running the Southwestern Women’s Options clinic, Boyd also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico (UNM), where he conducts research in both roles. Duran argued that she never authorized UNMH to use her fetus for research, while Boyd contended that Duran had signed a consent form.
Although a consent form had been signed, the judge ruled that the missing comma failed to clarify the distinction between Boyd’s duties as the clinic operator and his role at UNM. As a result, Duran's consent was not deemed valid.
6. Rapper Copyright Lawsuit
Just like authors, musicians claim ownership of their music through copyrights. However, the widespread reuse of certain music elements over time complicates the task of identifying truly original creators.
At times, though, the theft of intellectual property is so blatant that it can be traced all the way down to something as small as a misplaced comma.
In 2007, Edaz and Edward Redden recorded a rap track titled 'I Ball, I Stunt.' The brothers were caught off guard when they heard the song on the radio. For one, they never anticipated the song would blow up. But more shocking was the fact that they weren't the ones performing it. Instead, they heard the familiar voice of the popular rapper Jeezy.
'He took it word for word,' Edaz Redden said. 'The whole title, he put a comma where we put a comma at. He took the whole title of the song, he took the hook, everything.'
A judge sided with the Redden brothers, and Jeezy was ordered to pay $111,000 for his musical misappropriation.
5. Family Wills
Family wills are crafted to avoid confusion after a loved one's passing, but even the clearest legal language can become muddled by poor grammar.
Benjamin Areson passed away in 1841, leaving behind a wife and five children. The provisions for his wife's care led to a contentious case in the New York Court of Errors, a precursor to the state's appeals court.
The contested statement reads, 'I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife, Mary, all my real estate, one clock, and the interest of five hundred dollars during her lifetime.'
The use of a serial comma led to an important question: did the phrase 'during her lifetime' apply solely to the $500 inheritance, or to the entire list of items? However, the issue became moot when Mary passed away the following year.
Different courts and judges would continue to debate Benjamin Areson's intentions, even mocking each other over their interpretations of grammar.
4. James Joyce Punctuation Edits
One of the most difficult books to read is Ulysses, by James Joyce. Although it often appears on Top 100 book lists, the final 69 pages are particularly challenging due to the lack of punctuation. Joyce struggles through these pages using only eight sentences, all devoid of punctuation.
As new editions of Ulysses were released, volunteers who transcribed Joyce's handwritten manuscript often inserted punctuation—one edition even added hundreds of commas to a single section.
It took $300,000 to remove approximately 5,000 incorrect changes and restore the manuscript to Joyce's original, albeit largely unreadable, version.
3. Magnum P.I. In The Internet Age
Comma controversies have even seeped into the entertainment world. CBS recently revealed it was rebooting the 1980s hit Magnum, P.I. While fans are divided on whether a reboot is necessary, the people behind the scenes had their own debate before making the announcement.
When the show that made Tom Selleck a star returns with a new leading man, it will do so under a slightly altered title: Magnum P.I.—without the comma. 'There’s a little bit of science behind it,' said CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl. 'In the new world of searching, commas are not your friends.'
The reboot will also feature a departure from Selleck’s iconic mustache, suggesting that both facial hair and commas might eventually become outdated, much like the dinosaurs.
2. Strippers In High School
While commas might not seem all that thrilling, one high school teacher found a way to connect proper grammar to strippers, a Soviet dictator, and an assassinated US president.
In 2015, students at Highland Park High School in Texas were shown an illustration featuring John F. Kennedy, Joseph Stalin, and two strippers. The unexpected and graphic drawing was accompanied by two versions of the same sentence, each demonstrating the impact of the Oxford comma.
'We invited the strippers, JFK and Stalin,' one version read. The teacher's intent was to show that without an Oxford comma, the sentence could suggest that JFK and Stalin were strippers, instead of indicating they were simply invited alongside the scantily clad women.
Naturally, the subject matter and the adult nature of the illustration outraged parents, leading school administrators to clarify that the image had not been approved.
1. Cancellation Of $1 Million Contract
Another case of commas costing millions took place in 2006. Rogers Communications, a Canadian cable company, and Bell Aliant, a telephone company, found themselves in a dispute over a canceled contract. Bell Aliant cited a single comma as the reason it was justified in ending the contract with Rogers Communications.
The contract stated, 'This agreement shall be effective from the date it is made and shall remain in effect for a period of five (5) years from the date it is made, and subsequently for successive five (5) year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior written notice from either party.'
Rogers Communications interpreted the contract as allowing cancellation only before the last five-year period began, while Bell Aliant argued that the comma between 'terms' and 'unless' permitted them to cancel at any point. The regulator sided with Bell Aliant, enabling them to cancel the contract. The comma issue ultimately cost Rogers Communications one million Canadian dollars.
