What is the term for using 'and' instead of commas when listing or describing something?

Question

I want the literary term, if anyone knows it or could look it up for me. Thank You.
-R

I would like to thank Hawk22 for knowing what I was talking about. There is a whole other world out there and some people just can't see past the punctuation. Hawk will be awarded the best answer. I just wish I could pick a worst answer.

Answer 1

Polysyndeton is the use of a conjunction between each word, phrase, or clause, and is thus structurally the opposite of asyndeton. The rhetorical effect of polysyndeton, however, often shares with that of asyndeton a feeling of multiplicity, energetic enumeration, and building up.

Answer 2

If you're using multiple items, people or places, you'll want to use a comma after every one except the first-to-last one. That way you're not using 'and' over and over again. For example:

Our flag is red, white and blue.
The recipe calls for an egg, a tablespoon of butter, a cup of sugar and a cup of water.

Look how improper it is the other way:

Our flag is red and white and blue.
The recipe calls for an egg and a tablespoon of butter and a cup of sugar and a cup of water.

Not sure on the technical explanation, but I know the simple way I explained it is correct.

Answer 3

Assuming you are referring to a grammatical mistake, the word is "solecism". I am not aware of any word that addresses the particular usage you describe.

Also, proper grammar specifies that you place a comma between every item in a list. It is also appropriate to use a semi-colon if it will avoid confusion.

edit : polysyndeton, nice. That's a new word for me. Thanks. :)

Answer 4

Conjunction, junction, what's your function....And, But, and Or will get you pretty far......

I loved those little songs during Saturday morning cartoons.