Ghost of a flea

I'm not sure about absolutely correct usage - but on both 8 (half-mast/half-staff) and 82 (gantlet/gauntlet), dictionary.com indicates the common usage as being an acceptable variant of the (supposedly) correct usage.

I liked the idea of substituting "while" or "because" for "as" when "as" is unclear... This sort of advice about "use" can be most useful. I gather the OED has decided split infinitives are now common usage and so may be allowed. I have used the blog as a kind of writing tutorial for myself and have got much better at avoiding split infinitives and my personal difficulty of writing "which" when I mean "that". The half-mast/half-staff distinction strikes me to be ever so slightly pedantic on his part and I am interested to learn dictionary.com has decided it is ok.

That's part of the problem, in that English is not, say, a programming language where grammar (and even spelling) can and must remain immutable. Grammar must both guide, but must also evolve as usage evolves, in a delicate and often contentious dance. Tests such as this demonstrate in many cases were colloquial usage (the next step to being "real" grammar) is bending the rules.

Of course, I only got a 71/100. I'm not bitter, or anything ...

Disinterested/uninterested is not represented in the list.

Another couple of peeves of mine that didn't make the list, IIRC:

* make do / make due
* the use of 'of' where it should have been a contracted 'have' (e.g.: should of / should've)