Very interesting and lively comment thread on the post about grammar, but I have to say I'm rather put out by the number of you who say that you don't care about grammar rules.

I mean, come on. Are you that way about math(s) when you balance your checkbooks? Every once in a while, 43 minus 25 adds up to 16 or 19, not 18, because you just do it by feel? There are rules, people!

And stevejones123: I regret to say that you do not know them. "My wife Elin" sans comma is not a unit of speech comparable to "Michael Tomasky." Just isn't. And while you're right about "My darling Clementine," in that case "darling" is an adjective modifying Clementine, not a phrase in apposition.

We're going to start a new feature on this blog. Weekly grammar quiz. First edition this Friday morning. Brush up yer Strunk and White.