Improve error message for options using `eval` function

[bobleesj]

          These error messages could be improved by giving the user hints about how to fix them.  Let's make an issue to make them more informative for the user, but don't worry about closing that issue in this release.

In general we need tests in srmise (please can you make an issue for that too?)

Originally posted by @sbillinge in #137 (comment)

[bobleesj]

Please see the PR comment above.