western australia

The importance of commas

@JudyEv (347485)

Rockingham, Australia

February 3, 2025 3:44am CST

The photo is of one of our cats. His name was Blue because, in Australia, red-headed men are often nicknamed Blue. I know @TheHorse will relate to the following. He has a T-shirt that relates to it. I came across a comment with someone saying that their three favourite things were eating cats and not using commas. Of course, as it is written, that’s only two things – eating cats and not using commas. If you add a comma, it then becomes three things – eating, cats and not using commas. I like clever jokes. How about you?

23 people like this

24 responses

@DaddyEvil (142610)

• United States

3 Feb

I wonder why red-headed men may be called Blue in Australia? I've never heard of that before... But I can tell you I prefer "Bluey" to "Ginger" any day of the week!

5 people like this

@GardenGerty (162382)

• United States

3 Feb

No one calls you "Red"?

4 people like this

@marguicha (225181)

• Chile

4 Feb

3 people like this

@DaddyEvil (142610)

• United States

4 Feb

@GardenGerty Not where I can hear them.

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@marguicha (225181)

• Chile

3 Feb

I did read it first as eating cats.

Commas are important.

4 people like this

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@marguicha (225181)

• Chile

4 Feb

@JudyEv I taught language for a long time. I told my students that in case they did not know, to read the sentences aloud. When they stopped to breathe, they should add a comma.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

There can be a lot of debate about where commas should be placed. It's hard to get it right sometimes.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Feb

@marguicha That's a very good rule of thumb.

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@snowy22315 (186009)

• United States

4 Feb

Yep, helps to have those commas..Most red headed people here are called Red or occasionally carrot top. I went to school with a kid who had bright orange, red hair. He was a real carrot top!

3 people like this

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@Fleura (31130)

• United Kingdom

4 Feb

@JudyEv In our younger years one of our friends really had flaming red hair. Now it has faded to a more ordinary ginger. I didn't really realise how much it had changed until I looked back at some old photos, it really was vivid flame-red!

2 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Feb

@Fleura When we went to Scotland there were so many red-haired people around that we would remark on it. we have them here of course but there seemed to be a lot more in Scotland.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

There is red hair and there is RED hair, isn't there? The bright orange wouldn't appeal to me for a hair colour for myself.

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@wolfgirl569 (112414)

• Marion, Ohio

3 Feb

He was pretty. That's a good joke

3 people like this

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@wolfgirl569 (112414)

• Marion, Ohio

4 Feb

@JudyEv Some cats just like to lay like that too

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

I thought it was pretty funny. It was a very hot day when we caught that photo. Blue was trying to get cool I think.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (318846)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

3 Feb

Yes, I like those clever jokes. I often laugh at the signs on fast-food restaurants and other signs without punctuation.

4 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

You see some terrible punctuation from time to time on menus and leaflets.

2 people like this

@nicegolden (308)

• Shenzhen, China

4 Feb

@JudyEv it's the first one I learn,indeed laughful

2 people like this

@sharonelton (30230)

• Lichfield, England

3 Feb

Phew! I'm glad he wasn't eating cats! That would have really upset me! That is a lovely cat picture.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

One little comma can make all the difference.

3 people like this

@sharonelton (30230)

• Lichfield, England

5 Feb

@JudyEv Yes, it absolutely can!

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (162382)

• United States

3 Feb

There is a song about "Me and You and a Dog Named Blue", I wonder if he was also a ginger. Of course you have heard about the panda that goes into a bar and eats shoots and leaves. He does eat shoots, and leaves. That is actually the title of a grammar book.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

I have that book. I don't think I've ever read right through it.

2 people like this

@allknowing (141678)

• India

4 Feb

Why they are called blue is not understood

That was a good one about the misplaced comma

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

It's just a joke really. There isn't any sense to it.

3 people like this

changjiangzhibin89

@changjiangzhibin89 (16867)

• China

3 Feb

It is beyond me why call the red-headed men Blue there. Whether using commas correctly or not does make a great deal of difference.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

This isn't a good reason for calling red-headed people Blue. I guess it just began as a joke.

3 people like this

@sjvg1976 (42060)

• Delhi, India

4 Feb

From some of US friends here , they call them Ginger. How can a red headed person be called blue.

Yes, comma has an importance while writing.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

Being called Blue is just a silly joke really. An Aussie sense of humour.

2 people like this

@Juliaacv (52375)

• Canada

3 Feb

I stopped and realized that the comma was due in the first eating cats. Very clever.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

It makes a difference doesn't it where the comma goes.

3 people like this

@RasmaSandra (82887)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

3 Feb

Clever jokes are fun, My free Grammarly app on my PC lets me know when to use commas if I have not and should have,

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

I have that too but it doesn't always seem to come on for some reason. It can be very helpful. .

3 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (83908)

• United States

3 Feb

I do love to laugh and the placement of commas can mean all the difference

Blue looks like he's very comfortable

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

It was a hot day and he was trying to find a cool spot.

3 people like this

@andriaperry (118393)

• Anniston, Alabama

3 Feb

Oh yeah, those commas are necessary.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

They make all the difference in some cases.

2 people like this

@RebeccasFarm (92545)

• United States

3 Feb

I do love clever jokes.

2 people like this

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@RebeccasFarm (92545)

• United States

5 Feb

@JudyEv Not around me they dont

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

Me too. Too many now rely on smut or bad language for laughs.

2 people like this

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@Fleura (31130)

• United Kingdom

3 Feb

By the way one of my favourite jokes/ T-shirt slogans is: 'There are 10 types of people in the world; those who understand binary, and those who don't'

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@Fleura (31130)

• United Kingdom

4 Feb

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

And I like the one on the back of a bikie's shirt: 'If you can read this, it means the wife's fallen off.'

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@Fleura (31130)

• United Kingdom

3 Feb

And also, that reminds me of a story (this is not a joke) about the wife of some Nazi official who saved the lives of a group of potential concentration-camp detainees by sneakily adding a comma to some instructions she saw written on a document on her husband's desk.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

Good for her. I wonder what the context was. I read Boy in the Striped Pyjamas a while back. Very understated in a way but very moving.

2 people like this

@Fleura (31130)

• United Kingdom

3 Feb

Some years ago a popular book came out about the importance of punctuation. It was called 'Eats, shoots and leaves' and it referred to a description of the giant panda which had a misplaced comma

2 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

I've got that book but I don't I've read it right through yet. And probably a bit late now.

2 people like this

@innertalks (22393)

• Australia

4 Feb

I like that clever joke. My dad used to write these letters on a board, "nowhere", and ask us kids to read it to him. We all said nowhere, but he would laugh, and say no, it's actually, "now here," and only the positive minded people will say that, whereas the negative minded people say no where.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

That's clever too. We need more positive people in the world.

2 people like this

@Beestring (14972)

• Hong Kong

3 Feb

Yes, commas are essential. They may change the meaning of a sentence.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347485)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb

They certainly change the meaning in this sentence.

3 people like this