The Oxford Comma Rule

The first style book to recommend using the oxford comma came out in 19 o five in england. Collins and spencer didn't give it the name serial comma or oxford comma. It originally had to do with giving each element equal weight, rather than being valued for adding clarity to lists. The late herbert spencer allowed me to quote from his letter whether to write black comma, white comma and green, with the comma after white, or to leave out the comma and write, black, comma, white and green. He was also credited with coining the phrase survival of the fittest. So as far as we know, that's the origin of the cereal comma rule.