OK, here we go again with the first of this week's matches. The third quarter-final match between the Bankers, Rosemary Redhead, David Churchill and Michael Jack, and the IT Supporters, Robin Baker, David Harper and Morag Traynor. Note that the Supporters have slightly adjusted their name from the heat.
So, we started as usual with Round 1. The Supporters went first, and chose Epsilon: 'Kaisen Wilhelm II', then 'City of Paris', then 'Britannic' and finally 'Queen Mary'; they tried 'ships that won the Blue Riband', which was correct for a point. The Banker chose Gamma: 'Julio Iglesias', then 'Luciano Pavarotti', and at this point, they had a guess at 'former goalkeepers'; correct, for three good points. The Supporters chose Alpha, and got the music: the final track was the Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams, but this wasn't enough to give either side that the other three tracks, which they didn't appear to recognise, all involved larks as well. The Bankers chose Delta next: 'Austria's F1 circuit', then 'top condition for ships', then '594 x 841mm'; they tried 'all prefixed by A', which was not precise enough. The Supporters saw the final clue 'London to Edinburgh', and this gave them 'A1' for a bonus point. They chose Zeta for themselves: 'Last royal house of Italy', then 'Gilbert and Sullivan', and they tried 'Savoy'; another good shout and another good earning of three points. Left with Beta, the Banker got the picture round; we saw a walkie talkie, then a hurdy gurdy, and both they and I spotted they were items with two word rhyming names. Another good three points earned. At the end of the round, the Bankers led 6-5.
So, on to Round 2. The Supporters chose Epsilon first: 'Kurt', then 'Louisa', and 'Friedrich' to finish; they spotted that these are the children in the Sound of Music in order of age, but mispronounced 'Liesl' as 'Lisa', and this conceded a bonus to their opponents. The Bankers chose Zeta for themselves: 'Trenton', then 'New York', and then 'Philadelphia'; they had a guess, as did their opponents, but they were both wrong. It was 'Washington DC', as it is the current capital of the USA, and the other three were capital beforehand. Fair enough; I recall the Philadelphia assembly being subject of a controversial UC question a few years back. The Supporters chose Alpha: 'Black', then 'Black Special', and finally 'Amber'; they didn't get it, but their opponents did, albeit for the wrong reason. It's 'Red', as these are BIKINI alert states for the MoD. The Banker chose Delta for their own question: 'Elfriede Jelinek', then 'Harold Pinter', and then 'Orhan Pamuk'; again, they didn't get it right, nor did their opponents. They are winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, and 'Doris Lessing' would complete the set. For their final choice, the Supporters chose Gamma, and got the picture set: a newt eye, and I immediately thought this could be the Witches' spell in Macbeth; I was right, as we saw a frog's toe and a bat ('wool of bat') for the remaining clues, but none of us could get the right answer, 'tongue of dog'. The Bankers were left with Beta: 'Regardless of History', 'Monument', and 'Alison Lapper Pregnant'; they ran out of time before they could guess, and the Supporters guessed wrongly. The link is artworks on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, and fourth would be 'Model for a Hotel 2007'. At the end of the second round, the Bankers led 8-5.
So, time for the Walls. The Banker went first, and chose the Alpha wall. 'Bourbon', 'Garibaldi', 'Lincoln' and 'Abernethy' slotted in quickly as biscuits. They tried several times to find another group, but had no luck, and eventually were timed out. The groups were resolved. 'Angus', 'Costa', 'Orwell' and 'Orange' are literary awards, which they didn't get. 'Belgium', 'Grimaldi', 'Windsor' and 'Bernadotte' are European royal house, which they did get. 'Glamis', 'Urquhart', 'Balmoral' and 'Inverary' are Scottish castles, as both they are I got. So, four points there.
The Supporters tackled the Beta wall. After some unsuccessful attempts, they isolated 'Chekov', 'Kirk', 'McCoy' and 'Scott', all members of the Star Trek crew. 'Ross', 'Shackleton', 'Weddell' and 'Fuchs', all Antarctic explorers, followed. They tried to resolve the remaining groups, and managed to solve the remaining groups with literally a second left! They didn't know the Connections of the final groups though: 'Sulu', 'Yellow', Bismarck' and 'Solomon' are seas in the Pacific, while 'Dean', 'Walker', 'Baltic' and 'Whitworth' are UK art galleries. Going into Missing Vowels, the Bankers led 12-11.
So, it would all be decided by Missing Vowels. 'People who were beheaded' went to the Supporters 2-1, leveling the score. 'John Donne quotations' only had three questions, and finished in a 0-0 draw. 'Glacial geography' terms also finished 0-0, with the Bankers getting one right and one wrong. At the end of the round, and the quiz, it was a tie, 13-all!
So, the third tie-breaker of the series! (Amazing how, after there were three in the first series, there were no more until Series 6!) Messrs Churchill and Harper faced off over the clue 'VNV DVC'; Mr Churchill offered 'VENI, VIDI, VICI'; correct! So, the Bankers progressed to the semis; well done them! Unlucky Supporters, but a good effort nonetheless.
I'll be back tomorrow with the fourth and final QF.
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Wednesday, 24 June 2015
Only Connect Series 1: Match 10 (Quarter-Finals): Crossworders vs Edinburgh Scrabblers
OK, onto the second QF. Playing this time were the Crossworders, Mark Grant, David Stainer and Ian Bayley, and the Edinburgh Scrabblers, Simon Gillam, Alan Sinclair and Melaine Beaumont. These two teams narrowly won their first matches against the Birkbeck Alumni and the Solent Scrabblers respectively.
Round 1. The Scrabblers went first, and chose Beta: 'Quagmire', 'Bathtub', 'Taxicab' and 'Pussycat' were the clues they saw, but no answer came. These are all words where each half means the whole, apparently. The Crossworders chose Alpha, and got the picture round: some traffic lights, a kettle, an overflowing bath and an apple falling from a tree; I spotted these to be origins of scientific discoveries, which the Crossworders didn't, but the Scrabblers did for a bonus. For their own question, they chose Delta, and got the music round: we heard 'Albatross' by Fleetwood Mac, 'Fly like an Eagle' by the Steve Miller Band, then 'Colonel Bogey', and at this point, the Scrabblers spotted a link in golf terms, for two points. The Crossworders chose Gamma: 'Lord's', then 'St Mary's', then 'British Museum', and at this gave them 'former London underground stations', which was correct for two points. The Scrabblers chose Zeta for their final question: 'Giles Coren', then 'Tom Wolfe' then 'Melvyn Bragg' and finally 'Sebastian Faulks'. The Scrabblers didn't see it, but both the Crossworders and myself spotted that these are all winners of the 'Bad Sex in Fiction' award. Of course, Victoria was quick to defend her brother's work! Left with Epsilon, the Crossworders saw 'Sunset Boulevard', then 'American Beauty', then 'The Lovely Bones'; they tried an answer at this point, but were incorrect. The Scrabblers saw 'Desperate Housewives', and answered that they were all narrated by dead people, for a bonus. At the end of the round, the Scrabblers led 4-3.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Scrabblers chose Delta first: 'Mikhail Botvinnik', then 'Tigran Petrosian'; they tried 'Bobby Fischer', the link being World Chess Champions, and were correct for three points. The Crossworders chose Zeta, and got the picture round again: a kilogram weight, then a map of Peru with Lima highlighted, and they went for three points with 'November', the link being the NATO alphabet. Correct, for three points. The Scrabblers chose Beta: 'Thorn', then 'Seat', and then 'Shout'; no answer came from either side. They are anagrams of points of the compass, so 'Stew', or any anagram of 'west' would've done. "Welcome to the quarter-finals", remarked VCM! The Crossworders chose Alpha: '2', then '1.73205...', and they spotted it to be square roots of descending numbers; they buzzed with '1', and were right for three points. The Scrabblers chose Epsilon for their final question: 'Pulmonary embolism', then 'Jack Ruby', and they spotted the connection: JFK (not JR; thank you Pointless!) was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, who was killed by Jack Ruby, who died of a pulmonary embolism. Great question, and three good points. Left with Gamma, the Crossworders saw: 'Anaheim, California', and spotted the link straight away; they saw 'Lake Buena Vista, Florida' next, and then 'Urayasu, Japan', before finally offering 'Paris', as they are locations of Disney Theme Parks. Correct, for two points. Going into the Walls, the Crossworders led 11-10.
The Crossworders went first, and chose the Beta wall. After some incorrect guesses, 'Hancock', 'Monk', 'Tatum' and 'Waller' slotted in, all jazz pianists. 'Rust', 'Cardinal', 'Burgundy' and 'Venetian' followed, all shades of red. After some careful analysis, they isolated the final two groups: 'Mandarin', 'Eton', 'Butterfly' and 'Windsor', which they thought were knots, but were actually collars, while 'Old Tom', 'London', 'Plymouth' and 'Holland' are types of gin. Just one mistake, so seven points.
The Scrabblers were left to tackle the Alpha wall. They spent a bit of time trying various combos, before finally isolating 'Rogation', 'Trinity', 'Bloody' and 'Palm', which can all precede 'Sunday'. Next up, 'Bounty', 'Beagle', 'Pinta' and 'Victory', all famous ships, slotted in. They studied the remaining clues long and hard, and tried their three attempts, but ran out of lives. The remaining groups: 'Coffee', 'Terrier', 'Yew' and 'Rover', which they didn't know can all be preceded by 'Irish', while 'Boxer', 'Whiskey', 'Mau Mau' and 'Easter' are all rebellions, which they did know. So, five points there. Going into the final round, the Crossworders led 18-15.
So, still fairly close going into Missing Vowels. Remember, penalties for wrong answers from this round onwards. 'Musicals by Stephen Sondheim' went to the Crossworders 3-0. 'Fencing terms', with either English or French being accepted, went to the Scrabblers 1-(-1). 'Geometic figures' went to the Scrabblers 3-1. 'Philanthropists' went to the Crossworders 3-0, and that was time. At the end of the match, the Crossworders won 24-19.
An excellent match, well played by both sides considering the difficulty of the questions. Unlucky Scrabblers, who did very well indeed, but well done Crossworders, and we will, of course, be seeing you again next time.
I'll be back next week with the second two QFs. See you then, I guess.
Round 1. The Scrabblers went first, and chose Beta: 'Quagmire', 'Bathtub', 'Taxicab' and 'Pussycat' were the clues they saw, but no answer came. These are all words where each half means the whole, apparently. The Crossworders chose Alpha, and got the picture round: some traffic lights, a kettle, an overflowing bath and an apple falling from a tree; I spotted these to be origins of scientific discoveries, which the Crossworders didn't, but the Scrabblers did for a bonus. For their own question, they chose Delta, and got the music round: we heard 'Albatross' by Fleetwood Mac, 'Fly like an Eagle' by the Steve Miller Band, then 'Colonel Bogey', and at this point, the Scrabblers spotted a link in golf terms, for two points. The Crossworders chose Gamma: 'Lord's', then 'St Mary's', then 'British Museum', and at this gave them 'former London underground stations', which was correct for two points. The Scrabblers chose Zeta for their final question: 'Giles Coren', then 'Tom Wolfe' then 'Melvyn Bragg' and finally 'Sebastian Faulks'. The Scrabblers didn't see it, but both the Crossworders and myself spotted that these are all winners of the 'Bad Sex in Fiction' award. Of course, Victoria was quick to defend her brother's work! Left with Epsilon, the Crossworders saw 'Sunset Boulevard', then 'American Beauty', then 'The Lovely Bones'; they tried an answer at this point, but were incorrect. The Scrabblers saw 'Desperate Housewives', and answered that they were all narrated by dead people, for a bonus. At the end of the round, the Scrabblers led 4-3.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Scrabblers chose Delta first: 'Mikhail Botvinnik', then 'Tigran Petrosian'; they tried 'Bobby Fischer', the link being World Chess Champions, and were correct for three points. The Crossworders chose Zeta, and got the picture round again: a kilogram weight, then a map of Peru with Lima highlighted, and they went for three points with 'November', the link being the NATO alphabet. Correct, for three points. The Scrabblers chose Beta: 'Thorn', then 'Seat', and then 'Shout'; no answer came from either side. They are anagrams of points of the compass, so 'Stew', or any anagram of 'west' would've done. "Welcome to the quarter-finals", remarked VCM! The Crossworders chose Alpha: '2', then '1.73205...', and they spotted it to be square roots of descending numbers; they buzzed with '1', and were right for three points. The Scrabblers chose Epsilon for their final question: 'Pulmonary embolism', then 'Jack Ruby', and they spotted the connection: JFK (not JR; thank you Pointless!) was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, who was killed by Jack Ruby, who died of a pulmonary embolism. Great question, and three good points. Left with Gamma, the Crossworders saw: 'Anaheim, California', and spotted the link straight away; they saw 'Lake Buena Vista, Florida' next, and then 'Urayasu, Japan', before finally offering 'Paris', as they are locations of Disney Theme Parks. Correct, for two points. Going into the Walls, the Crossworders led 11-10.
The Crossworders went first, and chose the Beta wall. After some incorrect guesses, 'Hancock', 'Monk', 'Tatum' and 'Waller' slotted in, all jazz pianists. 'Rust', 'Cardinal', 'Burgundy' and 'Venetian' followed, all shades of red. After some careful analysis, they isolated the final two groups: 'Mandarin', 'Eton', 'Butterfly' and 'Windsor', which they thought were knots, but were actually collars, while 'Old Tom', 'London', 'Plymouth' and 'Holland' are types of gin. Just one mistake, so seven points.
The Scrabblers were left to tackle the Alpha wall. They spent a bit of time trying various combos, before finally isolating 'Rogation', 'Trinity', 'Bloody' and 'Palm', which can all precede 'Sunday'. Next up, 'Bounty', 'Beagle', 'Pinta' and 'Victory', all famous ships, slotted in. They studied the remaining clues long and hard, and tried their three attempts, but ran out of lives. The remaining groups: 'Coffee', 'Terrier', 'Yew' and 'Rover', which they didn't know can all be preceded by 'Irish', while 'Boxer', 'Whiskey', 'Mau Mau' and 'Easter' are all rebellions, which they did know. So, five points there. Going into the final round, the Crossworders led 18-15.
So, still fairly close going into Missing Vowels. Remember, penalties for wrong answers from this round onwards. 'Musicals by Stephen Sondheim' went to the Crossworders 3-0. 'Fencing terms', with either English or French being accepted, went to the Scrabblers 1-(-1). 'Geometic figures' went to the Scrabblers 3-1. 'Philanthropists' went to the Crossworders 3-0, and that was time. At the end of the match, the Crossworders won 24-19.
An excellent match, well played by both sides considering the difficulty of the questions. Unlucky Scrabblers, who did very well indeed, but well done Crossworders, and we will, of course, be seeing you again next time.
I'll be back next week with the second two QFs. See you then, I guess.
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Only Connect Series 1: Match 9 (Quarter-Finals): County Councillors vs Science Writers
OK guys, here we go with the second round of Only Connect Series 1. The first second round match pitted the County Councillors against the Science Writers. The Councillors, Gwilym Owen, Gareth Aubrey and John Dixon, defeated the Ombudsmen in their first match, while the Writers, Arran Frood, Chrissie Giles and Peter Wrobel, defeated the Travel Writers.
So, on with the first round. The Councillors went first, and chose Zeta, and immediately triggered the music round: they heard Wagner's 'Magic fire music', 'Heaven is a place on Earth' by Belinda Carlisle, the Water music and Bach's Air on a G string. Neither they nor the Writers spotted the four classic elements in the titles of the songs. The Writers chose Alpha first: 'Psycho', 'Curtain', 'The Remorseful Day' and finally 'The Blue Lamp'; they suggested films that had recently been remade, which was wrong. The Councillors suggested they are all works where the detective dies; correct for a bonus. They chose Gamma for themselves: 'Harpo Marx', then 'Giacomo Casanova', then 'Graham Greene' and finally 'Mata Hari'. They didn't know it, and the Writers saw it too late; they all worked as spies. The Writers chose Epsilon: 'Party Guest, Empire of the Sun', 'Cemetery caretaker, Sleepwalkers', 'Football coach, Fever Pitch' and 'Mikey Forrester, Trainspotting'; they spotted, correctly, that these are all parts in film adaptations played by the author of the original work. For their final question, the Councillors chose Beta, and got pictures: some birds, then a fish, then a lace curtain and finally Grace Kelly. No answer came from either side: they are a 'brace' of birds, and the fish is a dace, so they all rhyme. Left with Delta, the Writer saw (and I'm square bracketing bits that should be in smaller type) 'CH[3]COOH (dild.)', then 'C[12]H[22]O[11]', then 'Piper nigrum', the last of which they recognised as black pepper, and decided to buzz and offer condiments. Correct, for two points. At the end of a tough first round, the Writers led 3-1.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Councillors chose Epsilon first: 'Poor reception', then 'Good reception' and then 'Stop transmitting'; neither they or the Writers got the answer of 'Message received', as these are CB Radio 10 codes, apparently. The Writers chose Delta, and got pictures: a green circle, then a blue circle, and then a red circle; again, neither team saw it. It's a black circle, as these are ski trail ratings in order of difficulty, apparently. The Councillors chose Alpha: '20', then '1', and then '18'; they offered '4', as that comes next on a dartsboard, which is correct for two points. The Writers chose Zeta: 'Persil', then 'Sauge', and at this point Mr Wrobel said it was 'thyme', as it was the lyrics of Scarborough Fair in French, which was correct for three good points. For their final choice, the Councillors chose Gamma: 'Class', then 'Order', and then 'Family'; they offered 'Kingdom', which was incorrect. The Writers didn't know it either. They are levels of biological taxonomy, so 'Genus' would be next. Left with Beta, the Writers saw 'St Albans', then 'Waltham Cross', then 'Cheapside'; they didn't know, but the Councillors offered 'Charing Cross', as these are Eleanor crosses, or the final journey of Eleanor of Castille, which is correct. At the end of Round 2, the Writers led 6-4.
On to the Walls. The Writers went first, and chose the Alpha wall. 'Rostrum', 'Nib', 'Beak' and 'Bill' slotted in first, as they are all names for a bird's mandible. 'Shrink', 'Quack', 'Spark' and 'Hack', which are all nicknames for professions, followed. After studying the remaining clues, they had a couple of attempts at solving, but ran out of lives. 'Sweeney Todd', 'J.M. Barrie', 'Roux' and 'Willy Wonka' are all characters Johnny Depp has portrayed, while 'Force', 'Crimp', 'Palm' and 'Cop' are magician's actions; both these connections eluded the Writers, who came away with four points.
The Councillors tackled the Beta wall. They spent over half the time studying the wall, and making unsuccessful attempts to get a first group. They tried several times, but couldn't get any groups isolated. Time ran out, and they were totally beaten by the wall. 'Queue', 'Pea', 'Jay' and 'Sea' are all word that sounds like letters, which they got. 'Russell', 'Straw', 'Frost' and 'Dee' are famous Jacks, which they also knew. 'Lime', 'Emerald', 'Jade' and 'Olive' are all shades of green, which they knew. 'Chemical', 'Wright', 'Warner' and 'Moss' all famously precede 'brothers', which they knew. So, four connection points there. Going into the final round, the Writers led 10-8.
So, Missing Vowels. From now on onwards, points are deducted for incorrect answers. 'Star constellations' went to the Councillors 2-1. 'Gospel quotations' proved this match's too hard category, with the Councillors taking it 1-0. 'Restoration comedies' went to the Writers 2-1. 'Poker terms' only managed one question, which went to the Councillors. At the end of the show, the teams were tied 13-all!
So, Mr Aubrey and Ms Giles faced off on this tiebreaker: 'TTH VC TRT HSPL S'. Ms Giles buzzed in: 'TO THE VICTOR, THE SPOILS'; right! The Writers went through to the semis. Well done to them; unlucky Councillors, but a good effort considering the difficulty of questions in the match.
Hopefully, I'll continue on to the next quarter-final tomorrow.
So, on with the first round. The Councillors went first, and chose Zeta, and immediately triggered the music round: they heard Wagner's 'Magic fire music', 'Heaven is a place on Earth' by Belinda Carlisle, the Water music and Bach's Air on a G string. Neither they nor the Writers spotted the four classic elements in the titles of the songs. The Writers chose Alpha first: 'Psycho', 'Curtain', 'The Remorseful Day' and finally 'The Blue Lamp'; they suggested films that had recently been remade, which was wrong. The Councillors suggested they are all works where the detective dies; correct for a bonus. They chose Gamma for themselves: 'Harpo Marx', then 'Giacomo Casanova', then 'Graham Greene' and finally 'Mata Hari'. They didn't know it, and the Writers saw it too late; they all worked as spies. The Writers chose Epsilon: 'Party Guest, Empire of the Sun', 'Cemetery caretaker, Sleepwalkers', 'Football coach, Fever Pitch' and 'Mikey Forrester, Trainspotting'; they spotted, correctly, that these are all parts in film adaptations played by the author of the original work. For their final question, the Councillors chose Beta, and got pictures: some birds, then a fish, then a lace curtain and finally Grace Kelly. No answer came from either side: they are a 'brace' of birds, and the fish is a dace, so they all rhyme. Left with Delta, the Writer saw (and I'm square bracketing bits that should be in smaller type) 'CH[3]COOH (dild.)', then 'C[12]H[22]O[11]', then 'Piper nigrum', the last of which they recognised as black pepper, and decided to buzz and offer condiments. Correct, for two points. At the end of a tough first round, the Writers led 3-1.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Councillors chose Epsilon first: 'Poor reception', then 'Good reception' and then 'Stop transmitting'; neither they or the Writers got the answer of 'Message received', as these are CB Radio 10 codes, apparently. The Writers chose Delta, and got pictures: a green circle, then a blue circle, and then a red circle; again, neither team saw it. It's a black circle, as these are ski trail ratings in order of difficulty, apparently. The Councillors chose Alpha: '20', then '1', and then '18'; they offered '4', as that comes next on a dartsboard, which is correct for two points. The Writers chose Zeta: 'Persil', then 'Sauge', and at this point Mr Wrobel said it was 'thyme', as it was the lyrics of Scarborough Fair in French, which was correct for three good points. For their final choice, the Councillors chose Gamma: 'Class', then 'Order', and then 'Family'; they offered 'Kingdom', which was incorrect. The Writers didn't know it either. They are levels of biological taxonomy, so 'Genus' would be next. Left with Beta, the Writers saw 'St Albans', then 'Waltham Cross', then 'Cheapside'; they didn't know, but the Councillors offered 'Charing Cross', as these are Eleanor crosses, or the final journey of Eleanor of Castille, which is correct. At the end of Round 2, the Writers led 6-4.
On to the Walls. The Writers went first, and chose the Alpha wall. 'Rostrum', 'Nib', 'Beak' and 'Bill' slotted in first, as they are all names for a bird's mandible. 'Shrink', 'Quack', 'Spark' and 'Hack', which are all nicknames for professions, followed. After studying the remaining clues, they had a couple of attempts at solving, but ran out of lives. 'Sweeney Todd', 'J.M. Barrie', 'Roux' and 'Willy Wonka' are all characters Johnny Depp has portrayed, while 'Force', 'Crimp', 'Palm' and 'Cop' are magician's actions; both these connections eluded the Writers, who came away with four points.
The Councillors tackled the Beta wall. They spent over half the time studying the wall, and making unsuccessful attempts to get a first group. They tried several times, but couldn't get any groups isolated. Time ran out, and they were totally beaten by the wall. 'Queue', 'Pea', 'Jay' and 'Sea' are all word that sounds like letters, which they got. 'Russell', 'Straw', 'Frost' and 'Dee' are famous Jacks, which they also knew. 'Lime', 'Emerald', 'Jade' and 'Olive' are all shades of green, which they knew. 'Chemical', 'Wright', 'Warner' and 'Moss' all famously precede 'brothers', which they knew. So, four connection points there. Going into the final round, the Writers led 10-8.
So, Missing Vowels. From now on onwards, points are deducted for incorrect answers. 'Star constellations' went to the Councillors 2-1. 'Gospel quotations' proved this match's too hard category, with the Councillors taking it 1-0. 'Restoration comedies' went to the Writers 2-1. 'Poker terms' only managed one question, which went to the Councillors. At the end of the show, the teams were tied 13-all!
So, Mr Aubrey and Ms Giles faced off on this tiebreaker: 'TTH VC TRT HSPL S'. Ms Giles buzzed in: 'TO THE VICTOR, THE SPOILS'; right! The Writers went through to the semis. Well done to them; unlucky Councillors, but a good effort considering the difficulty of questions in the match.
Hopefully, I'll continue on to the next quarter-final tomorrow.
Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Only Connect Series 1: Match 8: Cricket Supporters vs IT Support
OK guys, just one show this week, for reasons I'll divulge some other time. Playing tonight were the Cricket Supporters, Mick Lancaster, Ray Eaton and Stuart Solomons, and IT Support, Robin Barker, David Harper and Morag Traynor.
Round 1. The Supporters went first, and chose Epsilon: 'Amazing Grace', then 'Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable', then 'Thomas the Tank Engine', and at this point they suggested they were all written by clergymen. Correct, of course, for two points. IT chose Alpha: 'Hortensia', then 'Hope', then 'Excelsior' and finally 'Cullinan'; at the last minute, they correctly offered 'diamonds' for a point. The Supporters chose Gamma, and got the music question; they ran out of time before they could offer an answer, allowing IT to come forward that they were all lullabies, the final piece, Brahms' Lullaby, being the giveaway. For their own question, they chose Zeta: 'Sir Isaac Newton', 'Margaret Thatcher', 'Mary Archer', and they suggested 'scientists', which was not precise enough; they all studied chemistry, which the Supporters failed to spot. They chose Delta for their own questions, and got the picture round: a rose, a football boot, a fern and a globe. They offered nicknames of Rugby Union teams, which wasn't correct. They are actually all 'Golden' awards, the fern being a Palme D'or, apparently. Left with Beta, IT saw 'Mali', then 'Kyoto', then 'Solo' and finally 'More'. They didn't get the answer, but the Supporters did: they are all anagrams of capital cities. Good question! At the end of the round, it was 3-all.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Supporters kicked off the round with Alpha: 'st', then 'nd', and at this point I suggested 'th'; the Supporters took the third clue of 'rd' to be sure, for two points. IT chose Gamma, and got the picture question: a deer, then the Sun, and at this point they latched on to 'Do Ra Me Fa So La Ti Do', and buzzed in with 'far'. Correct for three points. The Supporters chose Delta: 'Wheat', then 'Sett', then 'Cease', and I caught on that this was French numbers, and came up with 'sank'; neither side saw it. IT chose Zeta next: 'Glasgow', then 'St Andrews' and then 'Cambridge', and at this point I came up with Oxford; IT did too, as these are the oldest universities in the UK in reverse order, and this earned them two points. The Supporters chose Beta for their final question of the round: 'William Shakespeare', then 'Michael Farraday' and then 'Edward Elgar'; they offered 'Adam Smith' as the most recent £20 depictee, which was correct for two points. Left with Epsilon, IT saw 'Ark', then 'Doom', and I spotted the link to be final words of Indiana Jones film titles; IT saw it after seeing the third clue to be 'Crusade', and were a bit fortunate to have 'skulls' accepted for 'skull'. At the end of the round, IT led 10-7.
On to the Connecting Walls. IT went first, and chose the Alpha wall. 'Stirrup', 'Tympanum', 'Anvil' and 'Hammer' quickly fell into place as parts of the ear. 'Perfect', 'Square', 'Cube' and 'Irrational' followed as types of number. Within seconds, they solved the wall: 'Presto', 'Piano', 'Large' and 'Grave' are all musical directions, while 'Altering', 'Triangle', 'Relating' and 'Integral' are anagrams of each other. Great final set that! A full ten points well earned.
The Supporters were left with the Beta wall. 'Newel', 'Bannister', 'Tread' and 'Riser' very quickly slotted in as parts of stairs. 'Jaffa', 'Eccles', 'Banbury' and 'Chorley' followed, which are all cakes. After an unsuccessful attempt, they managed to solve the wall: 'Forysth', 'Edmonds', 'Holmes' and 'Parsons' are the surnames of quiz show hosts, but they missed the link between 'Plum', 'Moriarty', 'Indiana Jones' and 'Higgins', which are all professors. So, seven points for that. At the end of the round, IT led 20-14.
So, a gap still closable going into Missing Vowels. 'Explorers' went to the Supporters 4-0. 'Chemicals used at home' went to IT 3-0. 'Beef dishes' went to IT 3-1. 'Percy Bysshe Shelley poems' went to IT 2-0. 'Nursery rhymes' went to the Supporters 1-0, and that was it. IT won the show 28-20.
Another excellent match. Unlucky Supporters, but good work. Well done to IT, and we'll see you again in the next round.
I'll begin on the second round next week.
Round 1. The Supporters went first, and chose Epsilon: 'Amazing Grace', then 'Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable', then 'Thomas the Tank Engine', and at this point they suggested they were all written by clergymen. Correct, of course, for two points. IT chose Alpha: 'Hortensia', then 'Hope', then 'Excelsior' and finally 'Cullinan'; at the last minute, they correctly offered 'diamonds' for a point. The Supporters chose Gamma, and got the music question; they ran out of time before they could offer an answer, allowing IT to come forward that they were all lullabies, the final piece, Brahms' Lullaby, being the giveaway. For their own question, they chose Zeta: 'Sir Isaac Newton', 'Margaret Thatcher', 'Mary Archer', and they suggested 'scientists', which was not precise enough; they all studied chemistry, which the Supporters failed to spot. They chose Delta for their own questions, and got the picture round: a rose, a football boot, a fern and a globe. They offered nicknames of Rugby Union teams, which wasn't correct. They are actually all 'Golden' awards, the fern being a Palme D'or, apparently. Left with Beta, IT saw 'Mali', then 'Kyoto', then 'Solo' and finally 'More'. They didn't get the answer, but the Supporters did: they are all anagrams of capital cities. Good question! At the end of the round, it was 3-all.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Supporters kicked off the round with Alpha: 'st', then 'nd', and at this point I suggested 'th'; the Supporters took the third clue of 'rd' to be sure, for two points. IT chose Gamma, and got the picture question: a deer, then the Sun, and at this point they latched on to 'Do Ra Me Fa So La Ti Do', and buzzed in with 'far'. Correct for three points. The Supporters chose Delta: 'Wheat', then 'Sett', then 'Cease', and I caught on that this was French numbers, and came up with 'sank'; neither side saw it. IT chose Zeta next: 'Glasgow', then 'St Andrews' and then 'Cambridge', and at this point I came up with Oxford; IT did too, as these are the oldest universities in the UK in reverse order, and this earned them two points. The Supporters chose Beta for their final question of the round: 'William Shakespeare', then 'Michael Farraday' and then 'Edward Elgar'; they offered 'Adam Smith' as the most recent £20 depictee, which was correct for two points. Left with Epsilon, IT saw 'Ark', then 'Doom', and I spotted the link to be final words of Indiana Jones film titles; IT saw it after seeing the third clue to be 'Crusade', and were a bit fortunate to have 'skulls' accepted for 'skull'. At the end of the round, IT led 10-7.
On to the Connecting Walls. IT went first, and chose the Alpha wall. 'Stirrup', 'Tympanum', 'Anvil' and 'Hammer' quickly fell into place as parts of the ear. 'Perfect', 'Square', 'Cube' and 'Irrational' followed as types of number. Within seconds, they solved the wall: 'Presto', 'Piano', 'Large' and 'Grave' are all musical directions, while 'Altering', 'Triangle', 'Relating' and 'Integral' are anagrams of each other. Great final set that! A full ten points well earned.
The Supporters were left with the Beta wall. 'Newel', 'Bannister', 'Tread' and 'Riser' very quickly slotted in as parts of stairs. 'Jaffa', 'Eccles', 'Banbury' and 'Chorley' followed, which are all cakes. After an unsuccessful attempt, they managed to solve the wall: 'Forysth', 'Edmonds', 'Holmes' and 'Parsons' are the surnames of quiz show hosts, but they missed the link between 'Plum', 'Moriarty', 'Indiana Jones' and 'Higgins', which are all professors. So, seven points for that. At the end of the round, IT led 20-14.
So, a gap still closable going into Missing Vowels. 'Explorers' went to the Supporters 4-0. 'Chemicals used at home' went to IT 3-0. 'Beef dishes' went to IT 3-1. 'Percy Bysshe Shelley poems' went to IT 2-0. 'Nursery rhymes' went to the Supporters 1-0, and that was it. IT won the show 28-20.
Another excellent match. Unlucky Supporters, but good work. Well done to IT, and we'll see you again in the next round.
I'll begin on the second round next week.
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Only Connect Series 1: Match 7: Bankers vs Bookkeepers
OK, onto the next match. Playing this time were the Bankers, Rosemary Redhead, David Churchill and Michael Jack, and the Bookkeepers, Quentin Holt, Ray Ward and Ann Kelly. I'm guessing Mr Ward is the same Ray Ward who won Brain of Britain in 2012.
Round 1. The Bookkeepers went first, and chose Delta first: 'James A. Garfield shot', '7 Pillars of Wisdom lost', and at this point Mr Ward shot in with 'they happened at railway stations'. Great shout for three points. The Bankers kicked off with Gamma, and the picture round: California, then Albert Einstein, and at this point they tried their luck on etymologies of the names of elements. Three points went their way too. The Bookkeepers chose Beta next: 'Harry', 'Gordon', 'Flood' and 'Photography' the clues, but no answer came. The Banker correctly offered 'Flash' for a bonus. For their own question, they chose Epsilon: 'Athena', 'Brownie Guides', 'Florence Nightingale', and they tried 'stamps'. Not correct; the final clue 'Harry Potter' gave the Bookkeepers the answer, all accompanied by owls, for a bonus. They chose Alpha for theif inal choice: 'Woodstock', then 'Kenilworth', and they tried 'locations of stately homes'; incorrect, as they next clues 'Guy Mannering' and 'The Heart of Midlothian', blew that. The Banker offered 'Walter Scott novels' for a bonus. Left with Zeta, and the music round, the Bankers heard, among others, the theme to Mission: Impossible; neither they or their opponents knew the four pieces were written in 5/4 time signiature. At the end of the round, the Bankers led 5-4.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Bookkeepers chose Gamma first, and got the picture round: a portcullis, then two feathers, and they latched on to coin depictions; they saw the final clue, a thistle, but were timed out before they could buzz. The Bankers duly took the bonus with a lion. They chose Zeta for their own question: 'Rope', then 'Rear Window', and then 'The Man Who Knew Too Much'; they spotted a Hitchcock films link, and tried 'Marnie'; not correct. The Bookkeepers tried 'Vertigo', which is correct, as these are Hitchcock films starring James Stewart. They chose Beta for themselves: 'William of Orange', then 'George of Denmark', and then 'Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha'; they offered 'Prince Philip', as the consorts of female monarchs, which was correct for two points. The Banker chose Alpha: 'The book of...', then 'The beginning of...', and then 'Forasmuch as many...'; they tried 'In the beginning...', and these were correct, and they are the first three words of the Gospels. Two points there. For their final choice, the Bookkeepers chose Delta: 'March 1st', then 'March 17th', and they knew now it was Saints days; they promptly offered 'November 30th' for three points. Left with Epsilon, the Bankers received 'Ball hits diving board', and they immediately recognised this as part of the game Mouse Trap; they gambled 'Cage falls on mouse', and were absolutely correct for five well earned points! At the end of the second round, the Bankers led 13-10.
On to the Walls. The Bankers went first this time, and chose the Beta Wall. They studied the wall for a bit, and tried a few incorrect stabs, before locking in 'White', 'Mustard', 'Plum' and 'Peacock' as Cluedo suspects. 'Wall', 'Fields', 'Hope' and 'Hay' then fell into place as a group of early 20th century comedians. With just seconds to go, they locked in the final group of 'Woods', 'Rose', 'Strange' and 'Watson', which are all golfers. The final group, 'Gold', 'Yellow', 'Jungle' and 'Scarlet', they knew to be fevers. A full house, and a full ten points.
The Bookkeepers were left to tackle the Alpha wall. 'Coral', 'Adder', 'Sidewinder' and 'Grass' were quickly locked in as snakes; 'Reeve', 'Cook', 'Knight' and 'Miller' followed, as Chaucer characters. The final groups very quickly fell into place too: 'Cooney', 'Hare', 'Coward' and 'Congreve', all playwrights, and 'Hawk', 'Cruise', 'Trident' and 'Patriot', all missiles. Another full house of ten points, which meant, going in to the final round, the Bankers led 23-20.
So, it would be decided on Missing Vowels. 'Dog breeds' went to the Bookkeepers 2-1. 'Furniture designers' proved tough, with the Bookkeepers taking the only part after a harsh but fair disallowance for the Bankers. 'Winston Churchill quotes' managed only one question, which neither team got. At the end of the game, the Bankers won 24-23.
Another very close, enjoyable match. Unlucky Bookkeepers, but well done on a good showing. Well done to the Bankers, and we'll see them again in the next round!
I'll be back whenever I have time to watch the next episode with a review of it.
Round 1. The Bookkeepers went first, and chose Delta first: 'James A. Garfield shot', '7 Pillars of Wisdom lost', and at this point Mr Ward shot in with 'they happened at railway stations'. Great shout for three points. The Bankers kicked off with Gamma, and the picture round: California, then Albert Einstein, and at this point they tried their luck on etymologies of the names of elements. Three points went their way too. The Bookkeepers chose Beta next: 'Harry', 'Gordon', 'Flood' and 'Photography' the clues, but no answer came. The Banker correctly offered 'Flash' for a bonus. For their own question, they chose Epsilon: 'Athena', 'Brownie Guides', 'Florence Nightingale', and they tried 'stamps'. Not correct; the final clue 'Harry Potter' gave the Bookkeepers the answer, all accompanied by owls, for a bonus. They chose Alpha for theif inal choice: 'Woodstock', then 'Kenilworth', and they tried 'locations of stately homes'; incorrect, as they next clues 'Guy Mannering' and 'The Heart of Midlothian', blew that. The Banker offered 'Walter Scott novels' for a bonus. Left with Zeta, and the music round, the Bankers heard, among others, the theme to Mission: Impossible; neither they or their opponents knew the four pieces were written in 5/4 time signiature. At the end of the round, the Bankers led 5-4.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Bookkeepers chose Gamma first, and got the picture round: a portcullis, then two feathers, and they latched on to coin depictions; they saw the final clue, a thistle, but were timed out before they could buzz. The Bankers duly took the bonus with a lion. They chose Zeta for their own question: 'Rope', then 'Rear Window', and then 'The Man Who Knew Too Much'; they spotted a Hitchcock films link, and tried 'Marnie'; not correct. The Bookkeepers tried 'Vertigo', which is correct, as these are Hitchcock films starring James Stewart. They chose Beta for themselves: 'William of Orange', then 'George of Denmark', and then 'Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha'; they offered 'Prince Philip', as the consorts of female monarchs, which was correct for two points. The Banker chose Alpha: 'The book of...', then 'The beginning of...', and then 'Forasmuch as many...'; they tried 'In the beginning...', and these were correct, and they are the first three words of the Gospels. Two points there. For their final choice, the Bookkeepers chose Delta: 'March 1st', then 'March 17th', and they knew now it was Saints days; they promptly offered 'November 30th' for three points. Left with Epsilon, the Bankers received 'Ball hits diving board', and they immediately recognised this as part of the game Mouse Trap; they gambled 'Cage falls on mouse', and were absolutely correct for five well earned points! At the end of the second round, the Bankers led 13-10.
On to the Walls. The Bankers went first this time, and chose the Beta Wall. They studied the wall for a bit, and tried a few incorrect stabs, before locking in 'White', 'Mustard', 'Plum' and 'Peacock' as Cluedo suspects. 'Wall', 'Fields', 'Hope' and 'Hay' then fell into place as a group of early 20th century comedians. With just seconds to go, they locked in the final group of 'Woods', 'Rose', 'Strange' and 'Watson', which are all golfers. The final group, 'Gold', 'Yellow', 'Jungle' and 'Scarlet', they knew to be fevers. A full house, and a full ten points.
The Bookkeepers were left to tackle the Alpha wall. 'Coral', 'Adder', 'Sidewinder' and 'Grass' were quickly locked in as snakes; 'Reeve', 'Cook', 'Knight' and 'Miller' followed, as Chaucer characters. The final groups very quickly fell into place too: 'Cooney', 'Hare', 'Coward' and 'Congreve', all playwrights, and 'Hawk', 'Cruise', 'Trident' and 'Patriot', all missiles. Another full house of ten points, which meant, going in to the final round, the Bankers led 23-20.
So, it would be decided on Missing Vowels. 'Dog breeds' went to the Bookkeepers 2-1. 'Furniture designers' proved tough, with the Bookkeepers taking the only part after a harsh but fair disallowance for the Bankers. 'Winston Churchill quotes' managed only one question, which neither team got. At the end of the game, the Bankers won 24-23.
Another very close, enjoyable match. Unlucky Bookkeepers, but well done on a good showing. Well done to the Bankers, and we'll see them again in the next round!
I'll be back whenever I have time to watch the next episode with a review of it.
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Only Connect Series 1: Match 6: Urban Cyclists vs Country Walkers
OK people, here we go again with the first of this week's two matches. Playing were the Urban Cyclists, Martin Gilson, Mike Beech and Dave Morrison, and the Country Walkers, Dave Roberts, Steve Lamb and Nigel Lewis.
Round 1. The Cyclists went first, and chose Beta: 'Sword', then 'Gold', and tried their luck on D-Day landing beaches; not correct, I'm afraid. 'Silver' and 'Jelly' gave no extra idea to the Walkers; they are all types of fish. The Walkers chose Delta: 'Catalan', then 'Silician', then 'Ruy Lopez' and they buzzed in for chess opening gambits. Good call for two points. The Cyclists chose Zeta: 'Aspirin', then 'Quinine', then 'Cinnamon' and finally 'Cork'. No answer came, but the Walkers suggested they are derived from trees; correct for a bonus point. For their own question, the Walkers chose Epsilon and got the picture round: the Sky at night (not the programme), then various numbers, then a palm and finally tea leaves. This gave it to them that they can all be used to tell the fortune, allegedly, for one point. For their final choice, the Cyclists chose Gamma, and got the music round; just in time, they buzzed in to tell us that the four pieces were all requiems, by Britten, Mozart, Verdi and Faure respectively. Left with Alpha, the Walkers saw 'The Tyne Bridge', then 'British pillar boxes', then 'Black tea' and finally 'Permanent Resident Card in US'. They suggested that they are all red, which was not correct; the Cyclists knew they all used to be green, but aren't no more, for a bonus point. At the end of the round, the Walkers led 4-2.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Cyclists chose Delta first: 'Britain', 'Liverpool' and 'St Ives'; no answer came, but the Walkers gave us 'Modern', as they are all Tate galleries. Good call for a bonus. They chose Zeta for their own question: 'Wilhelm Furtwangler', then 'Herbert von Karajan' and then 'Claudio Abbado'; they tried 'Simon Rattle' as the most recent composer of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (as our old friend Matt Loxham will no doubt know!), which was correct. The Cyclists chose Beta: 'Thor', then 'Frigg', and they began to speculate on what would be fourth; 'Saturn' came third, so they gave us 'The Sun', as these are the etymologies of the days of the week. Good shout for two points. Alpha gave the Walkers 'Roger', then 'Timothy' and then 'Pierce', and this gave it to them that they are James Bond actors; 'Daniel' was the correct answer supplied. The Cyclists chose Gamma, and saw '1691', then '1881', and spotted that these are all years that are the same upside-down; after much thought, they gave us '6009' for two points. Left with Epsilon, the Walkers saw 'Washington Monument', then 'Eiffel Tower' and then 'Chrysler Building'; they offered 'Empire State Building', as the tallest structures at the time they were built, which was correct. At the end of the round, the Walkers led 11-7.
On to the Connecting Walls. The Walkers went first this time, and chose the Beta wall. They tries several groups unsuccessfully, and seemed to be running out of time to solve the wall. They finally identified 'Dough', 'Lolly', 'Dosh' and 'Readies' as slang terms for money. Then 'Crane', 'Swift', 'Turkey' and 'Magpie' fell into place as birds. With just seconds to go, they quickly locked in 'Passion', 'Bread', 'Kiwi' and 'Star' as fruits. This left 'Taxi', 'Brass', 'Bottom' and 'Porridge', which are TV sitcoms. After looking like they were getting nowhere with the wall, they had pulled off a full ten points.
The Cyclists were left with the Alpha wall. After some wrong guesses, they isolated 'Lambeth', 'Queen Elizabeth II', 'Millenium' and 'London' as Thames bridges, and then 'Spider', 'Shore', 'Fiddler' and 'Velvet' as types of crab. They spent the rest of the time studying what was left, and trying to work out what the remaining groups were. They eventually used up their three lives and were locked out. The resolved groups were: 'Bell', 'Print', 'Stocking' and 'Bottle all follow the word 'blue', and 'Chariot', 'Moon', 'Hermit' and 'Tower' are all Tarot cards. So, six points there, and at the end of the round, the Walkers led 21-13.
So, the Cyclists had a bit of a gap to catch up in the Missing Vowels round, but, as we've seen in subsequent episodes, no lead is totally insurmountable when it comes to Missing Vowels. 'Native British trees' went to the Cyclists 4-0, and that's four off the lead already. 'Dickens quotations' proved a tough category, with the Cyclists taking the only point after a very lenient allowance from VCM. 'Film musicals' only had time for one clue, which the Walkers took. At the end of the quiz, the Walkers won 22-18.
Unlucky Cyclists, but a fair recovery at the end, so well done for that. Well done to the Walkers, and we'll see you again when we get to the second round!
Hopefully, I'll be back with the next match tomorrow.
Round 1. The Cyclists went first, and chose Beta: 'Sword', then 'Gold', and tried their luck on D-Day landing beaches; not correct, I'm afraid. 'Silver' and 'Jelly' gave no extra idea to the Walkers; they are all types of fish. The Walkers chose Delta: 'Catalan', then 'Silician', then 'Ruy Lopez' and they buzzed in for chess opening gambits. Good call for two points. The Cyclists chose Zeta: 'Aspirin', then 'Quinine', then 'Cinnamon' and finally 'Cork'. No answer came, but the Walkers suggested they are derived from trees; correct for a bonus point. For their own question, the Walkers chose Epsilon and got the picture round: the Sky at night (not the programme), then various numbers, then a palm and finally tea leaves. This gave it to them that they can all be used to tell the fortune, allegedly, for one point. For their final choice, the Cyclists chose Gamma, and got the music round; just in time, they buzzed in to tell us that the four pieces were all requiems, by Britten, Mozart, Verdi and Faure respectively. Left with Alpha, the Walkers saw 'The Tyne Bridge', then 'British pillar boxes', then 'Black tea' and finally 'Permanent Resident Card in US'. They suggested that they are all red, which was not correct; the Cyclists knew they all used to be green, but aren't no more, for a bonus point. At the end of the round, the Walkers led 4-2.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Cyclists chose Delta first: 'Britain', 'Liverpool' and 'St Ives'; no answer came, but the Walkers gave us 'Modern', as they are all Tate galleries. Good call for a bonus. They chose Zeta for their own question: 'Wilhelm Furtwangler', then 'Herbert von Karajan' and then 'Claudio Abbado'; they tried 'Simon Rattle' as the most recent composer of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (as our old friend Matt Loxham will no doubt know!), which was correct. The Cyclists chose Beta: 'Thor', then 'Frigg', and they began to speculate on what would be fourth; 'Saturn' came third, so they gave us 'The Sun', as these are the etymologies of the days of the week. Good shout for two points. Alpha gave the Walkers 'Roger', then 'Timothy' and then 'Pierce', and this gave it to them that they are James Bond actors; 'Daniel' was the correct answer supplied. The Cyclists chose Gamma, and saw '1691', then '1881', and spotted that these are all years that are the same upside-down; after much thought, they gave us '6009' for two points. Left with Epsilon, the Walkers saw 'Washington Monument', then 'Eiffel Tower' and then 'Chrysler Building'; they offered 'Empire State Building', as the tallest structures at the time they were built, which was correct. At the end of the round, the Walkers led 11-7.
On to the Connecting Walls. The Walkers went first this time, and chose the Beta wall. They tries several groups unsuccessfully, and seemed to be running out of time to solve the wall. They finally identified 'Dough', 'Lolly', 'Dosh' and 'Readies' as slang terms for money. Then 'Crane', 'Swift', 'Turkey' and 'Magpie' fell into place as birds. With just seconds to go, they quickly locked in 'Passion', 'Bread', 'Kiwi' and 'Star' as fruits. This left 'Taxi', 'Brass', 'Bottom' and 'Porridge', which are TV sitcoms. After looking like they were getting nowhere with the wall, they had pulled off a full ten points.
The Cyclists were left with the Alpha wall. After some wrong guesses, they isolated 'Lambeth', 'Queen Elizabeth II', 'Millenium' and 'London' as Thames bridges, and then 'Spider', 'Shore', 'Fiddler' and 'Velvet' as types of crab. They spent the rest of the time studying what was left, and trying to work out what the remaining groups were. They eventually used up their three lives and were locked out. The resolved groups were: 'Bell', 'Print', 'Stocking' and 'Bottle all follow the word 'blue', and 'Chariot', 'Moon', 'Hermit' and 'Tower' are all Tarot cards. So, six points there, and at the end of the round, the Walkers led 21-13.
So, the Cyclists had a bit of a gap to catch up in the Missing Vowels round, but, as we've seen in subsequent episodes, no lead is totally insurmountable when it comes to Missing Vowels. 'Native British trees' went to the Cyclists 4-0, and that's four off the lead already. 'Dickens quotations' proved a tough category, with the Cyclists taking the only point after a very lenient allowance from VCM. 'Film musicals' only had time for one clue, which the Walkers took. At the end of the quiz, the Walkers won 22-18.
Unlucky Cyclists, but a fair recovery at the end, so well done for that. Well done to the Walkers, and we'll see you again when we get to the second round!
Hopefully, I'll be back with the next match tomorrow.
Thursday, 4 June 2015
Only Connect Series 1: Match 5: Edinburgh Scrabblers vs Solent Scrabblers
OK, so, a day later than I planned, we're here at Match 5. Playing tonight were the Edinburgh Scrabblers, Melanie Beaumont, Alan Sinclair and Simon Gillam, and the Solent Scrabblers, Noel Turner, Elisabeth Jardine and Penny Downer.
So, the first round. Edinburgh went first, and chose Beta: we saw 'Bowl', then 'Cistern', then 'Brook' and finally 'Beagle'; they had nothing, but Solent spotted they all end in the names of birds. Great question! For their own question, Solent chose Epsilon, and saw 'Clementine', then 'Greengage', then 'Boysenberry' and spotted fruit named after people. They saw the final clue 'Cox's Orange Pippin', which confirmed it for one point. Edinburgh chose Alpha, and saw 'Jan Hus', then 'William Tyndale', then 'Thomas Cranmer', and began to think these were all burnt at the stake; 'Joan of Arc' confirmed it for one point. Solent chose Gamma next, and got the picture round: we saw some Roman coins, then some mushrooms, then Frankie Howard in Up Pompeii and finally two skiers; they suggested a Roman connection, but this was wrong. The connection was a double I, apparantly, the coins being Dinarii and the mushrooms Shittake. For their final choice, Edinburgh chose Delta, and saw 'Jordan', then 'Lazerus', then 'Scone' and finally 'Biblioll'; they guessed 'stone', which was wrong, and it went over to Solent, who didn't know either. These are all fictional Oxford colleges, as in Jordan College Oxford, created by Philip Pullman. Left with Zeta and the music round, Solent heard two pieces of music, 'All in the April Evening', and then 'Morning', and this was enough for them to buzz in with 'times of the day' for three points. Well worked out. At the end of the round, Solent led 5-1.
On to the second round. Edinburgh went first again, and chose Alpha: '1902', then '1911', and they thought of coronations; they guessed '1953', as the year of the current Queen's coronation, and were right for three points. Solent chose Beta, and got the pictures: a white horse, then a brown horse and then a black horse; they guessed wrongly, as did Edinburgh. These are the Steeds of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, so a pale horse would be fourth, apparently. Edinburgh went for Delta next, and got another number sequence: '00001', then '00100'; they latched on to a binary connections, and decided to guess '10000', on the grounds that these are the binaries of the square numbers. This earned them another three points. Solent chose Epsilon: '5 C in a N', then '2 N in a D' and then '2½ D in a Q'; they didn't know, nor did Edinburgh. The connection is US coinage, so so '4 Q in a D' would be next, apparently. Edinburgh chose Zeta for their final question: 'Shoe', then 'Horse', then 'Rider'; they didn't know it. Solent did; it's 'battle'. 'For the want of a shoe, the horse was lost, for the want for a horse,' and so on. (Or, as Private Pike put it, 'for the want of a battle, the horse was nailed'!) Left with Gamma, Solent saw 'Sun, Moon and stars', then 'Sealife and birds', then 'Land animals and Man', and the thought this could be the order of Creation in the Bible. They couldn't think of an answer, nor could Edinburgh. The answer is Nothing (He rested), these being the final four days of Creation. At the end of the round, Edinburgh led 7-6.
On to the Walls. Solent chose the Alpha wall. After a bit of studying and some misses, they isolated 'Blanc', 'Brooks', 'B' and 'Smith' as famous Mels. After some more attempts, they locked 'Screwdriver', 'Hammer', 'Gimlet' and 'Wrench' as tools. They carefully studied the wall some more, and worked out the final sets: 'Sidecar', 'Manhattan', 'Gibson' and 'Margarita' are cocktails, and 'Puzzle', 'Business', 'Nuts' and 'Suit' can all be preceded by 'Monkey'. Well worked out for ten points.
Edinburgh were left with the Beta wall. They spent some time studying it and trying some groups unsuccessfully. With less than a minute to go, they still had nothing. They eventually isolated 'Angel', 'Fairy', 'Marble' and 'Madeleine' as cakes. They ran out of time before they could isolate any more. 'Spenser', 'Lawrence', 'Pope' and 'Pound' are all poets. 'Queen', 'Marlowe', 'Hammer' and 'Holmes are all fictional detectives. 'Victoria', 'Churchill', 'Horseshoe' and 'Reichenbach' are all waterfalls. They got all three of these links, which meant they scored five points. Going into the final round, Solent led 16-12.
It would all be up for grabs in Missing Vowels then. 'Shakespearean opening lines' went to Edinburgh 2-1 and 'Meteorological terms' went to them 3-1. 'Caribbean islands' was split 2-each. 'Latin legal phrases' went to Edinburgh 3-0, and that was time. Edinburgh just snuck home 22-20.
Another great match between two very well matched teams. Unlucky to Solent, but well played. Well done to Edinburgh, and we'll see them again when we get to the next round.
I'll be back with two more matches next week. See you then.
So, the first round. Edinburgh went first, and chose Beta: we saw 'Bowl', then 'Cistern', then 'Brook' and finally 'Beagle'; they had nothing, but Solent spotted they all end in the names of birds. Great question! For their own question, Solent chose Epsilon, and saw 'Clementine', then 'Greengage', then 'Boysenberry' and spotted fruit named after people. They saw the final clue 'Cox's Orange Pippin', which confirmed it for one point. Edinburgh chose Alpha, and saw 'Jan Hus', then 'William Tyndale', then 'Thomas Cranmer', and began to think these were all burnt at the stake; 'Joan of Arc' confirmed it for one point. Solent chose Gamma next, and got the picture round: we saw some Roman coins, then some mushrooms, then Frankie Howard in Up Pompeii and finally two skiers; they suggested a Roman connection, but this was wrong. The connection was a double I, apparantly, the coins being Dinarii and the mushrooms Shittake. For their final choice, Edinburgh chose Delta, and saw 'Jordan', then 'Lazerus', then 'Scone' and finally 'Biblioll'; they guessed 'stone', which was wrong, and it went over to Solent, who didn't know either. These are all fictional Oxford colleges, as in Jordan College Oxford, created by Philip Pullman. Left with Zeta and the music round, Solent heard two pieces of music, 'All in the April Evening', and then 'Morning', and this was enough for them to buzz in with 'times of the day' for three points. Well worked out. At the end of the round, Solent led 5-1.
On to the second round. Edinburgh went first again, and chose Alpha: '1902', then '1911', and they thought of coronations; they guessed '1953', as the year of the current Queen's coronation, and were right for three points. Solent chose Beta, and got the pictures: a white horse, then a brown horse and then a black horse; they guessed wrongly, as did Edinburgh. These are the Steeds of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, so a pale horse would be fourth, apparently. Edinburgh went for Delta next, and got another number sequence: '00001', then '00100'; they latched on to a binary connections, and decided to guess '10000', on the grounds that these are the binaries of the square numbers. This earned them another three points. Solent chose Epsilon: '5 C in a N', then '2 N in a D' and then '2½ D in a Q'; they didn't know, nor did Edinburgh. The connection is US coinage, so so '4 Q in a D' would be next, apparently. Edinburgh chose Zeta for their final question: 'Shoe', then 'Horse', then 'Rider'; they didn't know it. Solent did; it's 'battle'. 'For the want of a shoe, the horse was lost, for the want for a horse,' and so on. (Or, as Private Pike put it, 'for the want of a battle, the horse was nailed'!) Left with Gamma, Solent saw 'Sun, Moon and stars', then 'Sealife and birds', then 'Land animals and Man', and the thought this could be the order of Creation in the Bible. They couldn't think of an answer, nor could Edinburgh. The answer is Nothing (He rested), these being the final four days of Creation. At the end of the round, Edinburgh led 7-6.
On to the Walls. Solent chose the Alpha wall. After a bit of studying and some misses, they isolated 'Blanc', 'Brooks', 'B' and 'Smith' as famous Mels. After some more attempts, they locked 'Screwdriver', 'Hammer', 'Gimlet' and 'Wrench' as tools. They carefully studied the wall some more, and worked out the final sets: 'Sidecar', 'Manhattan', 'Gibson' and 'Margarita' are cocktails, and 'Puzzle', 'Business', 'Nuts' and 'Suit' can all be preceded by 'Monkey'. Well worked out for ten points.
Edinburgh were left with the Beta wall. They spent some time studying it and trying some groups unsuccessfully. With less than a minute to go, they still had nothing. They eventually isolated 'Angel', 'Fairy', 'Marble' and 'Madeleine' as cakes. They ran out of time before they could isolate any more. 'Spenser', 'Lawrence', 'Pope' and 'Pound' are all poets. 'Queen', 'Marlowe', 'Hammer' and 'Holmes are all fictional detectives. 'Victoria', 'Churchill', 'Horseshoe' and 'Reichenbach' are all waterfalls. They got all three of these links, which meant they scored five points. Going into the final round, Solent led 16-12.
It would all be up for grabs in Missing Vowels then. 'Shakespearean opening lines' went to Edinburgh 2-1 and 'Meteorological terms' went to them 3-1. 'Caribbean islands' was split 2-each. 'Latin legal phrases' went to Edinburgh 3-0, and that was time. Edinburgh just snuck home 22-20.
Another great match between two very well matched teams. Unlucky to Solent, but well played. Well done to Edinburgh, and we'll see them again when we get to the next round.
I'll be back with two more matches next week. See you then.
Tuesday, 2 June 2015
Only Connect Series 1: Match 4: Science Writers vs Travel Writers
OK guys, on to the next match of the first series of Only Connect. If I do two shows a week for the foreseeable future, then I should finish around the time UC starts again.
Playing Match 4 of the series were the Science Writers, Arran Frood, Chrissie Giles and Peter Wrobel, and the Travel Writers, Dan Hayes, Simon Heptinstall and Anna Melville-Jones. I notice that, for the first two series, teams tended to be paired together in the first round by an opposite name element, but this was abandoned for Series 3.
The Travel Writers went first and chose Alpha for their first question: 'Socrates', 'Snow White', 'Emma Bovary' and 'Alexander Litvinenko'; the final clue gave them their answer that they were all poisoned for one point. Science chose Delta first, and got the picture question: a Jack of Hearts, then Lady Isabel Barnet from 'What's My Line', then Richard Madeley and then Goldilocks (as in the Three Bears); they were all acused of stealing food, which neither side knew. Travel picked Beta next: 'Peter Quint', 'Elvira Condomine', 'King Hamlet' and 'Sir Simon de Canterville'; after much discussion, they finally dragged up that they all come back as ghosts. Epsilon for Science: 'Looter', 'Drawer', 'Desserts' and 'Lamina'; they couldn't think of anything again, nor did Travel. This was a great question: the words all spell different words when written backwards. Classic OC lateral question. For their final choice of the round, Travel chose Gamma, and got the music question: we heard Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini first, and finished with Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody', which gave them the answer of 'rhapsodies'. Left with Zeta, Science saw: 'Wentworth', 'Mercalli', 'Scoville' and latched on to scales; they took the final clue of 'mohs' just to be sure. At the end of the round, Travel led 3-1.
On to Round 2, What Comes Fourth? Travel chose Alpha first: 'Lhotse', then 'Kangchenjunga', and they latched on to the World's tallest mountains; they took the third clue of 'K2', and this was enough for them to offer 'Everest' as the World's tallest mountain (from sea level; thanks QI) for two points. Science chose Gamma, and got the picture round: the first was an illustration, the second was a singer neither of us recognised, but the third was Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn Kelly. Science barked up the wrong tree, and went for the Queen. I guessed something related to winter, as the singer must be Donna Summer and the illustration must be Spring in some way. Travel thought the same way for a bonus point. For their own question, they chose Beta: 'Sudra', 'Vaishya', 'Kshatriya'; they didn't know, nor did Science. The answer is 'Brahman', as they are the largest Hindu castes, apparently. Science chose Zeta: 'Quartz', then 'Topaz', and they began to speculate: 'Corundrum' suggested hardness, and they tried to think what would be fourth. They guessed 'Diamond', as did I, and we were both right for two points! Travel chose Delta as their final pick: 'Y', then '51', and then '02', and they were left completely lost. Science had a guess, but didn't know; it's '52', as these are car license plate identifiers, apparently. Left with Epsilon, Science saw 'Plexicushion', then 'Clay, and then 'Grass', and latched on to tennis court materials; they guessed 'Hard court', and were right for two points, these being the surfaces of Grand slam tennis courts. At the end of Round 2, Travel led 6-5.
On to the Connecting Walls. Science went first, and chose the Alpha wall. They immediately spotted a group of Wombles, and immediately isolated 'Alderney', 'Bulgaria', 'Tobermory' and 'Orinoco'. They then immediately isolated 'Jersey', 'York', 'Hampshire' and 'Mexico' as US locations beginning with 'New'. Almost straight away, and much to VCM's amazement, they isolated the remaining groups: 'Glandular', 'Scarlet', 'Trench' and 'Yellow' are all types of fever, and 'Tea', 'Wellington', 'Jerky' and 'Stronganoff' can all be preceded by 'beef'. Just thirty seconds to solve, and ten very well earned points there.
Travel were left with the Beta wall. They immediately latched on to Tube lines, and isolated 'Northern', 'District', 'Circle' and 'Jubilee'. Next up, they spotted 'Western', 'English', 'Bareback' and 'Jumping' as styles of horse riding. After spending some time studying the remaining clues, they spotted a connection and quickly isolated it: 'Southern', 'Maltese', 'Victoria' and 'Red' can all precede 'cross'. This left 'Eastern', 'Central', 'Mountain' and 'Specific', and floated around time zones; they offered 'railways' instead, only to be told they were all American time zones! Mercifully, VCM claimed she wouldn't have accepted just 'time zones', which would've been a bit harsh IMO. After that, Science led 15-13.
So, it would all be decided by Missing Vowels. Remember, no penalties for wrong answers. 'Famous TV newsreaders' went to Travel 2-1 after a slight mispronunciation from Science was disallowed. 'Beethoven piano sonatas' went to Science 4-0, and 'varieties of potato' went to them 2-0. 'Mike Leigh films' was split 2-all; 'Major rivers of the World', rather surprisingly, went to Science 2-0. And that was it: Science won 25-18.
Another good match. Unlucky Travel Writers, but a valiant effort. Well played Science Writers, and we'll see you again when we get to the QFs!
I'll be back with the next match tomorrow. I hope.
Playing Match 4 of the series were the Science Writers, Arran Frood, Chrissie Giles and Peter Wrobel, and the Travel Writers, Dan Hayes, Simon Heptinstall and Anna Melville-Jones. I notice that, for the first two series, teams tended to be paired together in the first round by an opposite name element, but this was abandoned for Series 3.
The Travel Writers went first and chose Alpha for their first question: 'Socrates', 'Snow White', 'Emma Bovary' and 'Alexander Litvinenko'; the final clue gave them their answer that they were all poisoned for one point. Science chose Delta first, and got the picture question: a Jack of Hearts, then Lady Isabel Barnet from 'What's My Line', then Richard Madeley and then Goldilocks (as in the Three Bears); they were all acused of stealing food, which neither side knew. Travel picked Beta next: 'Peter Quint', 'Elvira Condomine', 'King Hamlet' and 'Sir Simon de Canterville'; after much discussion, they finally dragged up that they all come back as ghosts. Epsilon for Science: 'Looter', 'Drawer', 'Desserts' and 'Lamina'; they couldn't think of anything again, nor did Travel. This was a great question: the words all spell different words when written backwards. Classic OC lateral question. For their final choice of the round, Travel chose Gamma, and got the music question: we heard Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini first, and finished with Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody', which gave them the answer of 'rhapsodies'. Left with Zeta, Science saw: 'Wentworth', 'Mercalli', 'Scoville' and latched on to scales; they took the final clue of 'mohs' just to be sure. At the end of the round, Travel led 3-1.
On to Round 2, What Comes Fourth? Travel chose Alpha first: 'Lhotse', then 'Kangchenjunga', and they latched on to the World's tallest mountains; they took the third clue of 'K2', and this was enough for them to offer 'Everest' as the World's tallest mountain (from sea level; thanks QI) for two points. Science chose Gamma, and got the picture round: the first was an illustration, the second was a singer neither of us recognised, but the third was Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn Kelly. Science barked up the wrong tree, and went for the Queen. I guessed something related to winter, as the singer must be Donna Summer and the illustration must be Spring in some way. Travel thought the same way for a bonus point. For their own question, they chose Beta: 'Sudra', 'Vaishya', 'Kshatriya'; they didn't know, nor did Science. The answer is 'Brahman', as they are the largest Hindu castes, apparently. Science chose Zeta: 'Quartz', then 'Topaz', and they began to speculate: 'Corundrum' suggested hardness, and they tried to think what would be fourth. They guessed 'Diamond', as did I, and we were both right for two points! Travel chose Delta as their final pick: 'Y', then '51', and then '02', and they were left completely lost. Science had a guess, but didn't know; it's '52', as these are car license plate identifiers, apparently. Left with Epsilon, Science saw 'Plexicushion', then 'Clay, and then 'Grass', and latched on to tennis court materials; they guessed 'Hard court', and were right for two points, these being the surfaces of Grand slam tennis courts. At the end of Round 2, Travel led 6-5.
On to the Connecting Walls. Science went first, and chose the Alpha wall. They immediately spotted a group of Wombles, and immediately isolated 'Alderney', 'Bulgaria', 'Tobermory' and 'Orinoco'. They then immediately isolated 'Jersey', 'York', 'Hampshire' and 'Mexico' as US locations beginning with 'New'. Almost straight away, and much to VCM's amazement, they isolated the remaining groups: 'Glandular', 'Scarlet', 'Trench' and 'Yellow' are all types of fever, and 'Tea', 'Wellington', 'Jerky' and 'Stronganoff' can all be preceded by 'beef'. Just thirty seconds to solve, and ten very well earned points there.
Travel were left with the Beta wall. They immediately latched on to Tube lines, and isolated 'Northern', 'District', 'Circle' and 'Jubilee'. Next up, they spotted 'Western', 'English', 'Bareback' and 'Jumping' as styles of horse riding. After spending some time studying the remaining clues, they spotted a connection and quickly isolated it: 'Southern', 'Maltese', 'Victoria' and 'Red' can all precede 'cross'. This left 'Eastern', 'Central', 'Mountain' and 'Specific', and floated around time zones; they offered 'railways' instead, only to be told they were all American time zones! Mercifully, VCM claimed she wouldn't have accepted just 'time zones', which would've been a bit harsh IMO. After that, Science led 15-13.
So, it would all be decided by Missing Vowels. Remember, no penalties for wrong answers. 'Famous TV newsreaders' went to Travel 2-1 after a slight mispronunciation from Science was disallowed. 'Beethoven piano sonatas' went to Science 4-0, and 'varieties of potato' went to them 2-0. 'Mike Leigh films' was split 2-all; 'Major rivers of the World', rather surprisingly, went to Science 2-0. And that was it: Science won 25-18.
Another good match. Unlucky Travel Writers, but a valiant effort. Well played Science Writers, and we'll see you again when we get to the QFs!
I'll be back with the next match tomorrow. I hope.
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