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commas in lists

The rule for the use of a comma before "and" in a list of nouns makes a lot of sense (UK vs US practice; be consistent). I remember learning a rule based on what kinds of things were in the list. Can anyone comment on this?

Re: commas in lists

I've heard of this being referred to as 'the Oxford comma'. Some suggest using it if, for example, you want the reader to pause before reading the last thing on the list, which gives a little added weight to it. In this instance, it would, therefore, be a matter of judgement on the author's part.