--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well, start waving and yelling, because…" description: "\"Well, start waving and yelling, because it is the so-called Oxford comma and it is a lot more dangerous than its exclusive, ivory-tower moniker might..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/lynne-truss-4153_blue_well-start-waving-and-yelling-because-it_1622324.jpg" --- # Well, start waving and yelling, because it is the… ![“Well, start waving and yelling, because it is the so-called Oxford comma and it is a lot more dangerous than its exclusive, ivory-tower moniker might suggest. There are people who embrace the Oxford comma and people who don't, and I'll just say this: never get between these people when drink has…” quote by Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/lynne-truss-4153_blue_well-start-waving-and-yelling-because-it_1622324.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/lynne-truss-4153_blue_well-start-waving-and-yelling-because-it_1622324.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/lynne-truss-4153_blue_well-start-waving-and-yelling-because-it_1622324.jpg) > “Well, start waving and yelling, because it is the so-called Oxford comma and it is a lot more dangerous than its exclusive, ivory-tower moniker might suggest. There are people who embrace the Oxford comma and people who don't, and I'll just say this: never get between these people when drink has been taken. Oh, the Oxford comma. Here, in case you don't know what it is yet, is the perennial example, as espoused by Harold Ross: "The flag is red, white, and blue." So what do you think of it? Are you for or against it? Do you hover in between?” [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Oxford comma is a contentious punctuation choice that can affect clarity and style, sparking strong opinions. **In simple terms:** Punctuation choice matters for clarity. Key Takeaway Consider context when using commas. Themes grammar punctuation clarity debate style Mood analytical playful controversial Type prescriptive descriptive When to use this quote - editing - academic writing - publishing - public speaking Key Concepts syntax linguistic norms communication Questions to Reflect On - Do you prioritize clarity or tradition? - When does a comma change meaning? A Different Perspective Rigid rules may ignore stylistic flexibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blue/) [Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Comma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comma/) [Comma Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comma-case-289526/) [Comma Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comma-lot-289527/) [Comma People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comma-people-289525/) [Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) [Drink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drink/) [Embrace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embrace/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [Exclusive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exclusive/) [Flags](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flags/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ivory/) [Ivory tower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ivory-tower/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Oxford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oxford/) [Oxford Comma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oxford-comma-289524/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Punctuation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punctuation/) [Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red/) [Red white and blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red-white-and-blue/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Towers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/towers/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [Yelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yelling/) ## Related quotes > [“who gives a fuck about an oxford comma?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vampire-weekend/who-gives-a-fuck-about-an-oxford-comma/) [Vampire Weekend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vampire-weekend/) > [There are people who embrace the Oxford comma and those who don't, and I'll just say this: never get between these people when drink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/there-are-people-who-embrace-the-oxford-comma-and-those-who-don-t-and/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [“Using the comma well announces that you have an ear for sense and rhythm, confidence in your style and a proper respect for your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/using-the-comma-well-announces-that-you-have-an-ear-for-sense-and/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [Thurber was asked by a correspondent: "Why did you have a comma in the sentence, 'After dinner, the men went into the living-room'?" And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/thurber-was-asked-by-a-correspondent-why-did-you-have-a-comma-in-the/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [You're a grand old flag! You're a high-flying flag, And forever in peace may you wave. You're the emblem of the land I love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-cohan/you-re-a-grand-old-flag-you-re-a-high-flying-flag-and-forever-in/) [George M. Cohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-cohan/) > [No matter how their leaders may have tried to skimp on money, no one, not even the politicians, who talked themselves red, white, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-boothe-luce/no-matter-how-their-leaders-may-have-tried-to-skimp-on-money-no-one/) [Clare Boothe Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-boothe-luce/) > [Republicans have become the party of red, white and blue rose colored glasses. By drowning out criticism with USA! USA!, they prevent this country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/republicans-have-become-the-party-of-red-white-and-blue-rose-colored/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Give me great players making great plays under the world's greatest pressure. Give me red white and blue real football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skip-bayless/give-me-great-players-making-great-plays-under-the-world-s-greatest/) [Skip Bayless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skip-bayless/) > [Music is not written in red, white and blue. It is written in the heart's blood of the composer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-melba/music-is-not-written-in-red-white-and-blue-it-is-written-in-the-heart/) [Nellie Melba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nellie-melba/) > [Actually, if you could see close in my eyes, the American flag is waving in both of them and up my spine is growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/actually-if-you-could-see-close-in-my-eyes-the-american-flag-is/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Ev'ry heart beats true 'neath the Red, White and Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-cohan/ev-ry-heart-beats-true-neath-the-red-white-and-blue/) [George M. 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One was the common anthropological conceit, out of which she made a career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/mead-s-anthropology-had-many-other-red-white-and-blue-blooded-virtues/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [I always carried a small American flag red white and blue with me so people would know I was from America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/i-always-carried-a-small-american-flag-red-white-and-blue-with-me-so/) [George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/) ## More by Lynne Truss > [Punctuation marks are the traffic signals of language: they tell us to slow down, notice this, take a detour, and stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/punctuation-marks-are-the-traffic-signals-of-language-they-tell-us-to/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [Evidently an A level in English is a sacred trust, like something out of "The Lord of the Rings". You must go forth with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/evidently-an-a-level-in-english-is-a-sacred-trust-like-something-out/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [Texting is a supremely secretive medium of communication - it's like passing a note - and this means we should be very careful what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/texting-is-a-supremely-secretive-medium-of-communication-it-s-like/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [“Part of one's despair, of course, is that the world cares nothing for the little shocks endured by the sensitive stickler. 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We are all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/texting-is-a-fundamentally-sneaky-form-of-communication-which-we/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [My favorite thing in the world is a quiz show, 'University Challenge,' so you can see what kind of sad person I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/my-favorite-thing-in-the-world-is-a-quiz-show-university-challenge-so/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [“nothing is straightforward in the world of literary taste.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/nothing-is-straightforward-in-the-world-of-literary-taste/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [Punctuation is a courtesy designed to help readers to understand a story without stumbling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/punctuation-is-a-courtesy-designed-to-help-readers-to-understand-a/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [“one might dare to say that while the full stop is the lumpen male of the punctuation world (do one job at a time;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/one-might-dare-to-say-that-while-the-full-stop-is-the-lumpen-male-of/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [The main advantage of working at home is that you get to find out what cats really do all day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/the-main-advantage-of-working-at-home-is-that-you-get-to-find-out/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [“I think about death sometimes. 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There are people who embrace the Oxford comma and people who don't, and I'll just say this: never get between these people when drink has been taken. Oh, the Oxford comma. Here, in case you don't know what it is yet, is the perennial example, as espoused by Harold Ross: \"The flag is red, white, and blue.\" So what do you think of it? Are you for or against it? 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