This is a sentence I saved from a piece I edited a while ago:

 Folds, along with Steve Willard and Eddie Walker, comprise the three-piece band who sing songs with titles like, “Really Gross Kid” and “King of the Bugs.”

The sentence has problems. Can you spot them before you read further or hit the More button?

My week at the copy editing factory was long and busy, but I hit the jackpot on some real-life examples of mixed-up word choices. I recognize that my joy is rather perverse, but I was happy to find material for a Grammar Guide quiz on word choice.

I hope you have fun taking the quiz. Click here or on the question mark icon to begin. Leave a comment below if you would like.

Even though most of us don't use horses or buggies as our main transportation these days, our language still has horse-related idioms, which writers sometimes mix up.

The Associated Press Stylebook helps create standards for publication writing. It tells writers and editors how to spell words and how to render numbers, among other things. It also offers rules on grammar and usage. It is the stylebook we rely on at The N&O, supplemented by an internal stylebook. The AP stylebook can be a valuable tool; it can also be a path to confusion.

I've written the 50th Grammar Guide quiz. This one is based on words we often see used incorrectly in fashion and home decor stories. They are common words that are easily mistyped and overlooked. As usual, I have written an explanation for each answer so you will get feedback as you check your answers. The explanations are the same whether you answered correctly or not.

Click here or on the question mark icon to begin. Have fun and post a comment below if you wish.

If you are a close and thorough reader of The N&O, you might have an advantage on the new Grammar Guide quiz. I based the quiz on Sunday's newspaper. I found five sentences that included words or terms that are sometimes confused in writing. To the credit of writers and editors, all but one of the five sentences were correct in the paper.

A sentence in an Associated Press story about the plane crash that killed former Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska stopped me this morning:

Stevens became a protege to the younger O'Keefe and they remained close friends over the years.

I have a new quiz for you to try. It comprises 10 sentences, about half of them have to do with word choice, a couple are about grammar and at least one is about idioms. To satisfy the purists, I should not call this a grammar quiz because it is mostly about usage and style, but "grammar" is the shorthand term I use.

As always, I look for your comments, questions, criticisms and quibbles. Please leave a comment below. Click here or on the question mark icon to begin.

I was a contestant on "Jeopardy!" The show aired Monday (July 26), so now I can write about what it was like.

If you have recorded the show but haven't watched yet, I warn you that this post is one big spoiler.

I got the chance to be a "Jeopardy!" contestant. If you watch Monday, July 26, you can see how I did. The show airs at 7 p.m. on WTVD in the Triangle. Check here to see when it airs in your area.

I'll write more later about the experience.