the new english? Totally different point

[Laurence Horn]

At 1:16 PM -0400 8/28/04, Bethany K. Dumas wrote:
>  >> But, to modify the topic a bit, what about sentences like this one?
>  >[Duane Campbell pitched in:]
>  >Troublemaker.  But that one falls under the "either none or two" rule,
>>doesn't it?
>
>Suits me.
>
Agreed.  The objectionable (to some) conjunction + comma sequences
are those where the comma or break is motivated by the conjunction
itself.  ("It has less calories.  And, it tastes great."  or
whatever)  Those where a twin comma is motivated by the parenthetical
adverbial between them ("And, not to put too fine a point on it,
...") are palpably different, although still falling afoul of the
never-begin-a-sentence-with-a-conjunction edict.

Larry