The line continuations ``... \`` are not needed here (b/c you're inside '(', and ')' already) the same applies for long strings, you can just continue them inside parenthesis) e.g. (notice no commas)

     foobar = ("The foobar term dates back to the dinosaur age "
               "when baby insects needed a special word to warn "
               "their neighbors that "
               "their nest had just been crushed by a T-rex")

You'll see this style use in many places throughout the code here.