When Commas Are Life and Death

TL;DR

Grammar, punctuation, and comma placement have had significant impacts throughout history, costing businesses and governments millions, influencing court rulings, and even determining life or death.

Transcript

• Good grammar isn't just a way to sound professional or feel morally superior in all of those Facebook debates. The best way to feel superior is to not participate in Facebook debates at all. But as American writer, Robert Brault once quipped, "Do not be surprised when those who ignore "the rules of grammar, also ignore the law. "After all the law... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ Grammar and punctuation, such as comma placement, have had tangible consequences throughout history, affecting taxes, lawsuits, and even legal verdicts.
• 🧑‍🏭 A typographical error in a tariff act changed the course of history and cost the US government millions of dollars.
• 🥺 The absence or presence of an Oxford comma can significantly alter the meaning of a sentence, leading to legal disputes and costly settlements.
• 🛀 Sir Roger Casement's treason defense based on interpreting a comma showed how grammar and legal strategy can intertwine, with the outcome having life-or-death consequences.
• ✊ The power of punctuation highlights the need for precision in drafting laws, as even a single comma can create loopholes or ambiguity.
• 🥺 Overcompensation in response to a punctuation error can lead to excessive punctuations or confusing legislative language.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did a typographical error in an 1872 tariff act cost the US government millions?

The error changed the exemption from taxing "fruit-plants" to "fruit, plants," making imported fruits tax-free. Importers filed lawsuits, and the court ruled in their favor, resulting in $2 million in refunded taxes.

Q: What impact did the absence of an Oxford comma have on a Maine dairy company?

The absence of an Oxford comma in the overtime pay law led to a lawsuit by truck drivers who argued that they were not exempt workers. The court sided with the drivers, resulting in a $5 million settlement.

Q: How did misuse of a comma affect Sir Roger Casement's treason case?

Sir Roger's lawyer primarily based his defense on the interpretation of a comma in the Treason Act of 1351. The court rejected the defense's interpretation, ultimately leading to Sir Roger's execution.

Q: How did Sir Roger Casement view the importance of punctuation?

Sir Roger believed that his lawyer's focus on punctuation, rather than defending his actions, was a miscalculation. He wanted to give a passionate speech justifying his treason in the name of Irish independence.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Incorrect comma usage in a tariff act in 1872 cost the US government $2 million (equivalent to $42 million today) in revenue, leading to fruit imports being tax-free.

• The absence of an Oxford comma in a Maine dairy company's overtime pay law led to a $5 million lawsuit settlement, as the court ruled in favor of truck drivers who argued that they were not exempt workers.

• Sir Roger Casement, an Irish separatist, hanged for treason during World War I, blamed his lawyer's focus on punctuation, specifically a comma, as his defense strategy, which led to his execution.