And People Think Punctuation's Not a Big Deal!

I get a lot of grief from my friends for being so picky when it comes to punctuation. They tell me that it's ridiculous to expect anyone to remember so many little rules that have so many exceptions.

Ok, I can sort of see where they're coming from.

But consider this...

While driving around with a friend Saturday, I saw a sign outside a barbecue restaurant that read, "CAN'T COOK MOM? COME PICK UP SOME BBQ FOR MOTHERS DAY!"

The part I want to consider is the "CAN'T COOK MOM?" bit.

Can't cook Mom? This is asking if you can cook your mother-- if you can prepare her to be eaten.

Can't cook Mom?

No, I'm afraid I can't cook my mother; she wouldn't be to happy if I tried.

You know what would fix this? A comma. A single comma.

"CAN'T COOK, MOM?"

Much better.

So, now you see. A little thing like a comma can mean the difference between Mom picking up some barbecue and Mom BEING some barbecue.