Grammar Quiz #20 gave followers a chance to show off their Shakespearean knowledge. Two things are wrong. In King John by Shakespeare, the phrase is about what “wasteful and ridiculous excess” crowning King John a second time would be, “To gild refined gold, to paint the lily.” Shakespeare meant going overboard, not adding a finishing touch.
Dr. John’s Grammar Quiz #21: Can you spot the glaring grammatical error in this sentence? “Perhaps it is a saving grace of Russian politics these days that laws and honors are honored more in the breach than in the observance.”
This one could be a stumper, so as an added incentive, the first correct answer will receive a free, five-page edit/critique of her or his manuscript. A $50.00 value.
WriterCare with Dr. John 
Interesting. Can you “honor” an honor, as the sentence implies? That seems redundant and doesn’t make sense.