Evening all. Into the home straight now, just six more matches after tonight. In fact, if this were a regular elimination format, this would have been the grand final this week.As we get to the business end of the tournament, this is also the final match where the runners-up will be coming back, presumably against Bristol in the first play-off. Winners would join St John's in the semis.
Merton College Oxford have very comfortably strolled through the series thus far, beating King's of Londonin the first round, the Oxford Brookes in the second, and the very decent Fitzwilliam team 270-125 in the prelims. Hoping to carry this on tonight were the unchanged foursome of:
Edward Thomas, from Kent, studying Ancient and Modern History
Alexander Peplow, from Amersham in Buckinghamshire, studying Medieval Studies
Captain: Leonie Woodland, from Cambridge, studying Physics
Akira Wiberg, from Sweden and Japan, studying Molecular and Cellular Medicine
Edinburgh, by contrast, have won their three games thus far by close margins, beating fellow quarter-finalists Ulster by five in the first round, the decent U.C.L. also by five in the second, and in their first quarter-final a late sprint saw them beat Emmanuel 125-110. Hoping to pull something of a Wigan off tonight were the also unchanged four of:
John Heaton-Armstrong, from Edinburgh, studying Russian and History
Stanley Wang, from Edinburgh, studying Speech and Language Processing
Captain: Innis Carson, from Glasgow, studying Chemistry
Philippa Stone, from Oxford, studying Biology
Off we set again then, and controversy on the very first starter: all we heard was "Who is the only person to have won both an Academy Award and a Nobel Prize?" before Mr Peplow promptly came in with 'George Bernard Shaw'; he was marked correct, but the Twittersphere points out that Bob Dylan has also done that particular double! Tut tut question setters! Merton set their stall out with a full bonus set, and when Mr Wiberg took a second prompt starter in a row, were already looking on match-winning form. Just one bonus came this time though. Merton then lost five, but Edinburgh couldn't pick up; then vice versa, and Merton did pick up, taking all three bonuses to boot. The first picture round, on flags of administrative sub-divisions that would be in the top 20 largest countries if independent, went to Edinburgh, who took a full house, cutting their deficit to 60-20.
Another very quick buzz from Mr Peplow that I somehow foresaw him making(!) increased that lead, but no bonuses on British film makers came with it. US philosophers proved more to the Oxonians' liking, taking a full set, before Mr Peplow came in quickly again on the next starter, but no bonuses on astronomy came this time. Mr Carson came in well on the next starter, identifying Irn Bru as the product that lost an 'O' and changed an 'EW' to a 'U' in 1946! Female authors who wrote under a male penname provided the Scots side with one correct answer.
The music round, on classical pieces evoking witchcraft, went to Merton, with Edinburgh dropping five in the process; a rare full music bonus set gave the Oxonians a lead of 135-30. Already it looked like they had the game sewed up, and as if to prove that idea, Ms Woodland took the next starter, and a good old school UC bonus set, on pairs of place names where the last letters of the first and the first of the second are the same, such as Lublin and Lincoln, gave them a full house. Mr Peplow then showed he's been watching his early Simpsons by identifying 'stoicism' for the next starter, and one bonus on scientific terms beginning 'allo' went with it.
The second picture round, on illustrations of scenes from the Ring Cycle, went to Edinburgh, who took two bonuses, leaving the score at 175-50. A second starter in a row went the Scots side's way, and dogs in art provided them with two correct answers, including another Simpsons classic, 'Dogs Playing Poker'.
What looked like a technical interruption but which was actually fair enough on rewatch then cost Edinburgh five, and allowed Merton to take the points, with 'Gibbon' getting a mention for the umpteenth time this series, and a full house put them up to 200 for the fourth time this series. Mr Carson appeared to take an educated guess of 'Nelson's Column' for the next starter, but was correct, and his side took two bonuses. Ms Woodland took the final starter, but her side missed both the bonuses there was time for. At the gong, Merton won 210-85.
Another pretty good match despite being rather one-sided. Unlucky Edinburgh, but no shame in that performance at all, best of luck in the play-offs. Very well done Merton though, on another barnstorming performance, and you'd have to say they are now hot favourites for the title; very best of luck in the semis!
The stats: Mr Peplow and Ms Woodland were the best buzzers of the night with four each, while Mr Carson was Edinburgh's top buzzer with three. On the bonuses, Merton converted a good 21 out of 32 (with one penalty), while Edinburgh managed an also good 10 out of 15 (with three penalties), so it was another match won convincingly on the buzzer.
Next week's match: Fitzwilliam vs Emmanuel. Then, I'd guess, Bristol vs Edinburgh, followed by Newcastle vs next week's winner.
Only Connect somewhat closer tonight, but no spoilers, I'll save it for my blog later in the week.
Monday, 12 March 2018
Tuesday, 6 March 2018
Only Connect Series 13: Elimination Quarter-Final 1: Wanderers vs Eco-Warriors
OK, here we go with Only Connect. Same format as UC, and we arrive at the same point at the same time, except OC does it in a different, more logical order. Eliminators first, then qualifiers, and then the play-offs. Makes more sense, but, TBH, I kinda prefer UC's more scattered way of doing it.
Anyway, playing last night were the Wanderers, John Payne, Richard Arthur and captain Sanjoy Sen, who beat the Pedagogues and fellow QFs the Inquisitors, but were beaten in their preliminary by the Vikings, and the Eco-Warriors, Jonathan Kershaw, Peter Barlow and captain Brett Bostock, who came the early rounds by beating fellow QFs the Escapologists and the Snake Charmers, but were overcome by the Inquisitors in the prelims.
Round 1. The Warriors kicked the show off with Two Reeds: 'Pojdzze. kin te chmurnosc w glab flaszy!', then 'Portez ce vieux whisky a la luge blonge qui fume', then 'Hoj bly gom vandt fraek sexquiz pa wc', and finally 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog'. That gave it to them, and me: they are pangrams, ie sentences that contain every letter of their respective alphabets. The Wanderers opened their match with 'Horn-ed' Viper: 'Hillary Clinton, Yemen, January 2011', then 'Jennifer Lawrence, Los Angeles, February 2013', then 'The Edge, Vancouver, May 2015'; they offered that they all fell over in those places then, and picked up two points for it. The Warriors chose Twisted Flax next: 'Snuppy', then 'Mewtwo', then 'Boba Fett', and finally 'Dolly'. They offered that they are clones, and collected another point. The Wanderers chose Eye of Horus next, and got the picture set: we saw Sally Field, then Charles II; mistaking the latter for Descartes, they tried 'fields', not right. Their opponents saw Jerry Springer and Jarvis Cocker, and offered 'spaniels' for the bonus. For their own question, the Warriors chose Lion: 'Adriano (Brazil)', then 'Anna (USA)', then 'Perse (Iran)'; they offered that adding 'polis' to the end of them give cities in those countries, and collected two points there too. Left with Water, and the music question, the Wanderers heard 'Sono Andati?' from La Boheme, then Terry Jacks with 'Seasons in the Sun', then 'A Little Fall of Rain' from Les Mis; they suggested 'weather', which was not correct. Their opponents heard the Bee Gees' 'I've Gotta Get a Message to You', but were none the wiser; they are songs sung by dying people. At the end of the first round, the Warriors led 5-2.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Warriors opened the round with Twisted Flax, and a music question: we heard Al Stewart's 'Year of the Cat', then David Bowie with 'Art Decade', and then the iconic 20th Century Fox music. They didn't spot it, nor did their opponents: increasing periods of time, so something for Millennium, such as Mr R. Williams' song (as performed by the teams!), would suffice. The Wanderers chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next, and got the picture set: we saw some Kit-Kats, then a rainbow coloured lollipop, and then a toasted marshmallow. They didn't get it, their opponents did: they are Android operating systems, so 'Nougat' would come fourth. For their own question, the Warriors chose Two Reeds: 'Children, Schools & Families', then 'Energy & Climate Change' (I had it here), and then 'Business, Skills & Innovation'; they offered 'Brexit', which was correct, the sequence being the most recently created government departments. The Wanderers chose Lion next: 'Hawkeye Pierce', then 'Fancy Smith', and then 'Monica Geller'. Neither side got this: they are characters played by Alan Alda, Brian Blessed and Courteney Cox, so David Duchovny's 'Fox Mulder', or Danny Dyer's 'Mick Carter', would complete the sequence. For their final choice, the Warriors chose Eye of Horus: '13-19', then 'One of the X-Men', and then 'Trained Japanese assassin'. They didn't get it, nor did the opposition: the clues are 'Teenage', 'Mutant' and 'Ninja', so something for 'Turtles' would complete the set! Left with Water again, the Wanderers saw 'R______R', then '_N____N_', and then '__B__B__'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: it is chess pieces based on their starting position, going inwards, so '___QK___' would be fourth. At the end of the second round, the Warriors led 8-2.
On to the Walls. The Wanderers went first, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. After spotting some potential links early on, they were unable to isolate anything at first, until they eventually slotted in 'Superior', 'Goose', 'Tongue' and 'Nature', which can all follow 'Mother'. That was all they could come up with though, so had to go for bonuses: 'Jester', 'Merlin', 'Magic' and 'Hollywood' are pilots from Top Gun, which they got, 'Iceman', 'Interlude', 'Electra' and 'Wilderness' feature in the titles of Eugene O'Neill plays, which they didn't get, while 'New Scientist', 'Countryman', 'Wildlife' and 'National Geographic' are science and nature magazines, which they did get. Four points there.
The Warriors could thus put the game beyond realistic reach with a good result on the Water wall. They isolated a first set reasonably quickly: 'Buxton', 'Bolsover', 'Matlock' and 'Whaley Bridge' are places in Derbyshire. Again, though, they couldn't get any more slot-ins, and thus also had bonuses to collect: 'Glossop', 'Threepwood', 'Ukridge' and 'Psmith' are PG Wodehouse characters, which they got, 'Wooster', 'Prince Regent', 'Little' and 'Roper' are characters played by Hugh Laurie, which they also got, while 'House', 'Third', 'Search' and 'Labour' can all precede 'party', which they didn't see. Another four there, so as you were, the Warriors led 12-6 going into the final round.
So, just about still to play for in Missing Vowels. 'Popular bedtime stories' was split 2-each. 'Special editions of Walkers crisps', such as 'BUILDER'S BREAKFAST' and 'SALT AND LINEKER' went to the Warriors 3-(-1). 'Inquisitive film titles', such as 'DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR?' and 'O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?', was a clean sweep to the Wanderers 4-0, and that was time. The Warriors led 17-11.
A tough match, some good hard questions, well played both sides all things considered. Unlucky Wanderers, but nothing to be ashamed of, a very respectable series performance, and thanks very much for playing! Well done Warriors though, and best of luck in the play-offs!
Next week's match: the Detectives vs the Beeks in the second eliminator.
Anyway, playing last night were the Wanderers, John Payne, Richard Arthur and captain Sanjoy Sen, who beat the Pedagogues and fellow QFs the Inquisitors, but were beaten in their preliminary by the Vikings, and the Eco-Warriors, Jonathan Kershaw, Peter Barlow and captain Brett Bostock, who came the early rounds by beating fellow QFs the Escapologists and the Snake Charmers, but were overcome by the Inquisitors in the prelims.
Round 1. The Warriors kicked the show off with Two Reeds: 'Pojdzze. kin te chmurnosc w glab flaszy!', then 'Portez ce vieux whisky a la luge blonge qui fume', then 'Hoj bly gom vandt fraek sexquiz pa wc', and finally 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog'. That gave it to them, and me: they are pangrams, ie sentences that contain every letter of their respective alphabets. The Wanderers opened their match with 'Horn-ed' Viper: 'Hillary Clinton, Yemen, January 2011', then 'Jennifer Lawrence, Los Angeles, February 2013', then 'The Edge, Vancouver, May 2015'; they offered that they all fell over in those places then, and picked up two points for it. The Warriors chose Twisted Flax next: 'Snuppy', then 'Mewtwo', then 'Boba Fett', and finally 'Dolly'. They offered that they are clones, and collected another point. The Wanderers chose Eye of Horus next, and got the picture set: we saw Sally Field, then Charles II; mistaking the latter for Descartes, they tried 'fields', not right. Their opponents saw Jerry Springer and Jarvis Cocker, and offered 'spaniels' for the bonus. For their own question, the Warriors chose Lion: 'Adriano (Brazil)', then 'Anna (USA)', then 'Perse (Iran)'; they offered that adding 'polis' to the end of them give cities in those countries, and collected two points there too. Left with Water, and the music question, the Wanderers heard 'Sono Andati?' from La Boheme, then Terry Jacks with 'Seasons in the Sun', then 'A Little Fall of Rain' from Les Mis; they suggested 'weather', which was not correct. Their opponents heard the Bee Gees' 'I've Gotta Get a Message to You', but were none the wiser; they are songs sung by dying people. At the end of the first round, the Warriors led 5-2.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Warriors opened the round with Twisted Flax, and a music question: we heard Al Stewart's 'Year of the Cat', then David Bowie with 'Art Decade', and then the iconic 20th Century Fox music. They didn't spot it, nor did their opponents: increasing periods of time, so something for Millennium, such as Mr R. Williams' song (as performed by the teams!), would suffice. The Wanderers chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next, and got the picture set: we saw some Kit-Kats, then a rainbow coloured lollipop, and then a toasted marshmallow. They didn't get it, their opponents did: they are Android operating systems, so 'Nougat' would come fourth. For their own question, the Warriors chose Two Reeds: 'Children, Schools & Families', then 'Energy & Climate Change' (I had it here), and then 'Business, Skills & Innovation'; they offered 'Brexit', which was correct, the sequence being the most recently created government departments. The Wanderers chose Lion next: 'Hawkeye Pierce', then 'Fancy Smith', and then 'Monica Geller'. Neither side got this: they are characters played by Alan Alda, Brian Blessed and Courteney Cox, so David Duchovny's 'Fox Mulder', or Danny Dyer's 'Mick Carter', would complete the sequence. For their final choice, the Warriors chose Eye of Horus: '13-19', then 'One of the X-Men', and then 'Trained Japanese assassin'. They didn't get it, nor did the opposition: the clues are 'Teenage', 'Mutant' and 'Ninja', so something for 'Turtles' would complete the set! Left with Water again, the Wanderers saw 'R______R', then '_N____N_', and then '__B__B__'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: it is chess pieces based on their starting position, going inwards, so '___QK___' would be fourth. At the end of the second round, the Warriors led 8-2.
On to the Walls. The Wanderers went first, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. After spotting some potential links early on, they were unable to isolate anything at first, until they eventually slotted in 'Superior', 'Goose', 'Tongue' and 'Nature', which can all follow 'Mother'. That was all they could come up with though, so had to go for bonuses: 'Jester', 'Merlin', 'Magic' and 'Hollywood' are pilots from Top Gun, which they got, 'Iceman', 'Interlude', 'Electra' and 'Wilderness' feature in the titles of Eugene O'Neill plays, which they didn't get, while 'New Scientist', 'Countryman', 'Wildlife' and 'National Geographic' are science and nature magazines, which they did get. Four points there.
The Warriors could thus put the game beyond realistic reach with a good result on the Water wall. They isolated a first set reasonably quickly: 'Buxton', 'Bolsover', 'Matlock' and 'Whaley Bridge' are places in Derbyshire. Again, though, they couldn't get any more slot-ins, and thus also had bonuses to collect: 'Glossop', 'Threepwood', 'Ukridge' and 'Psmith' are PG Wodehouse characters, which they got, 'Wooster', 'Prince Regent', 'Little' and 'Roper' are characters played by Hugh Laurie, which they also got, while 'House', 'Third', 'Search' and 'Labour' can all precede 'party', which they didn't see. Another four there, so as you were, the Warriors led 12-6 going into the final round.
So, just about still to play for in Missing Vowels. 'Popular bedtime stories' was split 2-each. 'Special editions of Walkers crisps', such as 'BUILDER'S BREAKFAST' and 'SALT AND LINEKER' went to the Warriors 3-(-1). 'Inquisitive film titles', such as 'DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR?' and 'O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?', was a clean sweep to the Wanderers 4-0, and that was time. The Warriors led 17-11.
A tough match, some good hard questions, well played both sides all things considered. Unlucky Wanderers, but nothing to be ashamed of, a very respectable series performance, and thanks very much for playing! Well done Warriors though, and best of luck in the play-offs!
Next week's match: the Detectives vs the Beeks in the second eliminator.
Monday, 5 March 2018
University Challenge 2017-18: Elimination Quarter-Final 1: Bristol vs Ulster
Evening all. Well, the snow that's been causing a great deal of trouble up here finally seems to have gone away thanks to a day of half-heavy rain, so we can finally get back to normal service as far as my life outside Quizzy Mondays is concerned. On, therefore, to the first eliminator quarter-final of this year's UC; runners-up would bow out, winners would stay on for the play-offs for a shot at the semis.
Bristol reached the group stage fairly comfortably with victories over Trinity of Cambridge and Trinity of Oxford, but came unstuck in the preliminaries where they lost 225-130 to Newcastle after a late sprint from the opposition. Looking to recover from that tonight were the unchanged four of:
Ollie Bowes, from Market Harborough, studying Music
Kirsty Biggs, from Southampton, studying Maths
Captain: Sam Hosegood, from Bedford, studying Chemical Physics
Dom Hewett, from Stroud, studying English
Ulster came through the repechage, narrowly losing to fellow quarter-finalists Edinburgh, then beating St Anne's of Oxford and Warwick to reach the group stage, where they lost to St John's in their prelim, despite a good fightback in the final minutes. Also looking to press on were the also unchanged line-up of:
Cathal McDaid, from Buncrana in County Donegal, studying English Literature
Kate Ritchie, from Waringstown in County Armagh, studying Fine Art
Captain: Ian Jack, from Peterhead, studying Pharmacy
Matthew Milliken, from Comber in County Down, studying Education
Off we set again then, and a prompt buzz from Mr Biggs got the ball rolling for the night; his side firmly put their stall out with a full bonus set on Nobel literature winners. Mr Hewett then added the second starter of the night, but just the one bonus went with it this time. A good starter then asked which planet's name can be spelt using some of the first letters of all the planets' names, if that makes sense; Mr Hosegood identified it as Venus, and the side added two further bonuses to their score with it. The first picture round, on cities vulnerable to a rise in sea levels, went to Bristol, with Ulster dropping five on a replacement starter; two bonuses were taken, giving the Avonsiders a lead of 80-(-5).
A classic UC starter, chemical number arithmetic, was then taken by Mr Hosegood, which gave his side a 100 point lead with the bonuses. Mr Milliken broke Ulster's duck with 'Rodin's The Kiss', but the side were unable to take any of the resultant bonuses on Russia. Bristol resumed normal service thanks to Mr Bowes, and took two bonuses, unluckily missing out on the third. Neither side identified the colour Sorrel, which I mainly know as the name of contestants on an early Weakest Link and a late DoND; Mr Hewett had the next correct answer, and one bonus on the human brain followed.
Neither side recognised Alan Menken's score for Disney's Little Mermaid for the music starter; the bonuses, on other Disney scores by Mr Menken, went to Ulster, but they couldn't take any of them (I managed two and a half), which left them trailing 125-15. A slip-up from Bristol allowed them to take a second successive starter though, but the bonuses, on French directories, once again failed to add to their score. A prompt buzz from Mr Bowes reawoke his side, and two bonuses put the match out of realistic reach. Mr Hosegood made sure when he took 'ecology' for the next starter, and they took just the one bonus this time on the work of Greta Garbo.
The second picture round, on tennis players who have courts named after them, went to Ulster, who took two bonuses, which left the score at 155-45. Another Bristol starter, taken by Ms Biggs, only really added to Bristol's score, as did one bonus on literary characters with three letter surnames. The match was long done and dusted now, but could Ulster avoid joining the Sub-50 club?
Alas, not, as Bristol saw out the remaining starters, Mr Hewett taking 'Bangladesh' for the next, and one bonus on French painters following. Mr Hosegood was next in, but bonuses on India provided them with no further points, not that it mattered by now. Mr Hewett took the final starter, but there was no time for any bonuses; at the gong, Bristol won 205-45.
An entertaining match, despite being rather one-sided. Unlucky Ulster, but no shame in going out in this stage, after a very respectable and entertaining series of performances, thanks very much for giving us them! Well done Bristol though, on another strong win over good opponents, and best of luck in the play-offs!
The stats: Messrs Hosegood and Hewett were joint best buzzers of the night, with four each, while Messrs Jack and Milliken taking two each for Ulster, Mr Jack ends their campaign their best buzzer, with seventeen over five matches. On the bonuses, Bristol converted 16 out of 36, while Ulster managed just 2 out of 12, with both sides incurring one penalty.
Next week's match: Merton vs Edinburgh
Only Connect had its first eliminator match tonight too, though of course they do it in a different order to UC; blog of that hopefully done this week.
Bristol reached the group stage fairly comfortably with victories over Trinity of Cambridge and Trinity of Oxford, but came unstuck in the preliminaries where they lost 225-130 to Newcastle after a late sprint from the opposition. Looking to recover from that tonight were the unchanged four of:
Ollie Bowes, from Market Harborough, studying Music
Kirsty Biggs, from Southampton, studying Maths
Captain: Sam Hosegood, from Bedford, studying Chemical Physics
Dom Hewett, from Stroud, studying English
Ulster came through the repechage, narrowly losing to fellow quarter-finalists Edinburgh, then beating St Anne's of Oxford and Warwick to reach the group stage, where they lost to St John's in their prelim, despite a good fightback in the final minutes. Also looking to press on were the also unchanged line-up of:
Cathal McDaid, from Buncrana in County Donegal, studying English Literature
Kate Ritchie, from Waringstown in County Armagh, studying Fine Art
Captain: Ian Jack, from Peterhead, studying Pharmacy
Matthew Milliken, from Comber in County Down, studying Education
Off we set again then, and a prompt buzz from Mr Biggs got the ball rolling for the night; his side firmly put their stall out with a full bonus set on Nobel literature winners. Mr Hewett then added the second starter of the night, but just the one bonus went with it this time. A good starter then asked which planet's name can be spelt using some of the first letters of all the planets' names, if that makes sense; Mr Hosegood identified it as Venus, and the side added two further bonuses to their score with it. The first picture round, on cities vulnerable to a rise in sea levels, went to Bristol, with Ulster dropping five on a replacement starter; two bonuses were taken, giving the Avonsiders a lead of 80-(-5).
A classic UC starter, chemical number arithmetic, was then taken by Mr Hosegood, which gave his side a 100 point lead with the bonuses. Mr Milliken broke Ulster's duck with 'Rodin's The Kiss', but the side were unable to take any of the resultant bonuses on Russia. Bristol resumed normal service thanks to Mr Bowes, and took two bonuses, unluckily missing out on the third. Neither side identified the colour Sorrel, which I mainly know as the name of contestants on an early Weakest Link and a late DoND; Mr Hewett had the next correct answer, and one bonus on the human brain followed.
Neither side recognised Alan Menken's score for Disney's Little Mermaid for the music starter; the bonuses, on other Disney scores by Mr Menken, went to Ulster, but they couldn't take any of them (I managed two and a half), which left them trailing 125-15. A slip-up from Bristol allowed them to take a second successive starter though, but the bonuses, on French directories, once again failed to add to their score. A prompt buzz from Mr Bowes reawoke his side, and two bonuses put the match out of realistic reach. Mr Hosegood made sure when he took 'ecology' for the next starter, and they took just the one bonus this time on the work of Greta Garbo.
The second picture round, on tennis players who have courts named after them, went to Ulster, who took two bonuses, which left the score at 155-45. Another Bristol starter, taken by Ms Biggs, only really added to Bristol's score, as did one bonus on literary characters with three letter surnames. The match was long done and dusted now, but could Ulster avoid joining the Sub-50 club?
Alas, not, as Bristol saw out the remaining starters, Mr Hewett taking 'Bangladesh' for the next, and one bonus on French painters following. Mr Hosegood was next in, but bonuses on India provided them with no further points, not that it mattered by now. Mr Hewett took the final starter, but there was no time for any bonuses; at the gong, Bristol won 205-45.
An entertaining match, despite being rather one-sided. Unlucky Ulster, but no shame in going out in this stage, after a very respectable and entertaining series of performances, thanks very much for giving us them! Well done Bristol though, on another strong win over good opponents, and best of luck in the play-offs!
The stats: Messrs Hosegood and Hewett were joint best buzzers of the night, with four each, while Messrs Jack and Milliken taking two each for Ulster, Mr Jack ends their campaign their best buzzer, with seventeen over five matches. On the bonuses, Bristol converted 16 out of 36, while Ulster managed just 2 out of 12, with both sides incurring one penalty.
Next week's match: Merton vs Edinburgh
Only Connect had its first eliminator match tonight too, though of course they do it in a different order to UC; blog of that hopefully done this week.
Tuesday, 27 February 2018
Only Connect Series 13: Preliminary Quarter-Final 4: Belogophiles vs Beaks
OK, on with Only Connect. I'm still not convinced about using this extended format for OC, at least not in its current way. The old way, using it from the off so all teams got at least two matches, was much better IMO.
Playing last night were the Belgophiles, Helen Fasham, Phil Small and captain Ben Fasham, husband of Helen, who defeated the Lapsed Physicists and the Meeples en route, and the Beaks, Rob Cromarty, Aidan Sproat-Clements and captain Dan Sproat-Clements, husband of Aidan, who also came straight here by beating the Disparates and the Dandies.
Round 1. The Beaks kicked the night off with Water: 'Argument tent', then 'Fan gathering tent', then 'Heating system vect'; they identified them as requiring 'con' at the start and 'ion' at the end to give words meaning those, and collected two points. The Belgophiles opened their account with Eye of Horus: 'Tsar Alexander II', then 'King George VI', then 'The Arc de Triomphe'; they identified them to have horse races named after them, and also picked up two points. The Beaks chose Two Reeds next, and got the picture set: we saw Pope Benedict XVI, then Ronald McDonald, then Moira Stewart as Vicky Page in 'The Red Shoes', and finally Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. They didn't get it, their opponents did, offering that they all famously wear red shoes for the bonus. For their own question, the Belgophiles chose Twisted Flax: 'Death of Kublai Khan', then 'Battles of El Alamein', then 'Second Paris Olympics', and finally 'Columbus reaches the Americas'. They offered that they occurred in years that are number anagrams of each other, and picked up another point. The Beaks chose Horned Viper next: 'Rudyard Kipling (1888) Daniel Dravot', then 'T.H. White (1958) Arthur', then 'Michael Dobbs (1992) un-named but probably Charles III', and finally 'J.R.R. Tolkein (1955) Aragorn'. They saw them to be the authors and publication years of novels with kings in the title, and the king in question, and picked up a point. Left with Lion, and the music question, the Belgophiles heard the theme to 'Murder on the Orient Express', then the French song 'Je t'en ce fait le train', then the Doobie Brothers with 'Slow Train Running', and finally 'Midnight Train to Georgia' by Gladys Knight and the Pips. They didn't see it, their opponents did for a bonus. At the end of the first round, the teams were tied on 4-each.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Beaks opened with Twisted Flax, and the picture set: we saw two matches, a standard and a digital with a circle round the latter, then a zoomed in picture of a record, and then a pair of glasses with one lens removed. They didn't get it, their opponents did: the clues represent 'digital', 'single' and 'lens', so something for 'reflex', such as that hilariously bad game show hosted by Shane Richie, or as they offered, a nightclub in Reading, would've sufficed. For their own question, the Belgophiles chose Eye of Horus: 'Wife of Henry VII', then 'Queen Elizabeth I', and then 'Wife of George VI'; they saw them to be English/British queens called Elizabeth, so offered 'Queen Elizabeth II' for the points. The Beaks chose Two Reeds next: '4: H', then '3: F', and then '2: R'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are letters with four, three and two end points, so '1: P' would complete the sequence. Nice little question that. The Belgophiles chose Horned Viper next: 'Humperdinck', then 'Quackmore', and then 'Donald'. They tried 'Daffy', not right; their opponents tried 'Huey', correct, the sequence being various generations of Donald Duck's family! For their own final choice, the Beeks chose Lion: 'Uruguay' with three lines above it and on the left, then 'Lesotho' with three lines but slightly more rightwards, and then 'Swaziland' under the lines even righter. They didn't get an acceptable answer, nor did their opponents: they are the four countries entirely south of the Tropic of Capricorn, so 'New Zealand' on the very right under three lines would be fourth. Left with Water, the Belgophiles saw '6', then 'Connecticut', and then 'Heraldic gold'. They didn't get it, their opponents did: the clues represent 'VI', 'CT' and 'OR', so something for 'IA' would complete the sequence. Now, they offered 'Indiana', which was not strictly acceptable, but Victoria recognised that they had the right idea, so let them have the points. She said she'd also have taken something that represented 'Y', as in 'VICTORY', so fair enough I guess. At the end of the second round, the Belgophiles led 7-6.
On to the Walls. The Belgophiles went first, and chose the Lion wall. Their first set arrived pretty quickly after some earlier errors: 'Chaplaincy', 'Maternity', 'ENT' and 'Outpatients' are hospital departments. A second set, 'Lee', 'Kotto', 'Bean' and 'Waltz', which are surnames of actors who've played Bond villains, followed. They identified what was left, and solved the wall on their third go: 'History', 'TNT', 'A & E' and 'Nickelodeon' are US cable channels, which they got, while 'Hermione', 'Potemkin', 'Discovery' and 'Kiel' are naval mutinies, which they didn't get. Seven points there then.
The Beaks thus could sneak into the lead if they could better that on the Water wall. After a few wrong goes, they eventually isolated 'Cole', 'Speed', 'Milburn' and 'Albert', which are surnames of Newcastle United footballers, which they couldn't quite get, so dropping three there, followed in short order by 'Station', 'Dip', 'Dog' and 'Shearer', which can all follow 'sheep'. They had the wall solved on their first attempt: 'St Katharine', 'Prince's', 'Tobacco' and 'Alexandra' are UK docks, which they got, while 'Oats', 'Dice', 'Lawn' and 'Eyes' are things that can be rolled, which they also spotted. Seven there as well, which left the Belgophiles ahead 14-13 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels would decide who went which way in the contest. 'Things found in a motorway service station' went to the Belgophiles 2-1. 'Friends in children's literature', such as 'POOH AND PIGLET', went to the Belgophiles 2-1 as well. 'Anagrams of 'GANISTER'', such as 'ANGRIEST' and 'TASERING' went to the Belgophiles 2-0, and that was time. The Belgophiles won 20-15.
Another good match, close throughout, well played both sides. Unlucky Beaks, good luck in the elimination round, well done Belgophiles, best of luck in the qualifier round!
Next week's match: the Wanderers vs the Eco-Warriors in the first eliminator.
Playing last night were the Belgophiles, Helen Fasham, Phil Small and captain Ben Fasham, husband of Helen, who defeated the Lapsed Physicists and the Meeples en route, and the Beaks, Rob Cromarty, Aidan Sproat-Clements and captain Dan Sproat-Clements, husband of Aidan, who also came straight here by beating the Disparates and the Dandies.
Round 1. The Beaks kicked the night off with Water: 'Argument tent', then 'Fan gathering tent', then 'Heating system vect'; they identified them as requiring 'con' at the start and 'ion' at the end to give words meaning those, and collected two points. The Belgophiles opened their account with Eye of Horus: 'Tsar Alexander II', then 'King George VI', then 'The Arc de Triomphe'; they identified them to have horse races named after them, and also picked up two points. The Beaks chose Two Reeds next, and got the picture set: we saw Pope Benedict XVI, then Ronald McDonald, then Moira Stewart as Vicky Page in 'The Red Shoes', and finally Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. They didn't get it, their opponents did, offering that they all famously wear red shoes for the bonus. For their own question, the Belgophiles chose Twisted Flax: 'Death of Kublai Khan', then 'Battles of El Alamein', then 'Second Paris Olympics', and finally 'Columbus reaches the Americas'. They offered that they occurred in years that are number anagrams of each other, and picked up another point. The Beaks chose Horned Viper next: 'Rudyard Kipling (1888) Daniel Dravot', then 'T.H. White (1958) Arthur', then 'Michael Dobbs (1992) un-named but probably Charles III', and finally 'J.R.R. Tolkein (1955) Aragorn'. They saw them to be the authors and publication years of novels with kings in the title, and the king in question, and picked up a point. Left with Lion, and the music question, the Belgophiles heard the theme to 'Murder on the Orient Express', then the French song 'Je t'en ce fait le train', then the Doobie Brothers with 'Slow Train Running', and finally 'Midnight Train to Georgia' by Gladys Knight and the Pips. They didn't see it, their opponents did for a bonus. At the end of the first round, the teams were tied on 4-each.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Beaks opened with Twisted Flax, and the picture set: we saw two matches, a standard and a digital with a circle round the latter, then a zoomed in picture of a record, and then a pair of glasses with one lens removed. They didn't get it, their opponents did: the clues represent 'digital', 'single' and 'lens', so something for 'reflex', such as that hilariously bad game show hosted by Shane Richie, or as they offered, a nightclub in Reading, would've sufficed. For their own question, the Belgophiles chose Eye of Horus: 'Wife of Henry VII', then 'Queen Elizabeth I', and then 'Wife of George VI'; they saw them to be English/British queens called Elizabeth, so offered 'Queen Elizabeth II' for the points. The Beaks chose Two Reeds next: '4: H', then '3: F', and then '2: R'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are letters with four, three and two end points, so '1: P' would complete the sequence. Nice little question that. The Belgophiles chose Horned Viper next: 'Humperdinck', then 'Quackmore', and then 'Donald'. They tried 'Daffy', not right; their opponents tried 'Huey', correct, the sequence being various generations of Donald Duck's family! For their own final choice, the Beeks chose Lion: 'Uruguay' with three lines above it and on the left, then 'Lesotho' with three lines but slightly more rightwards, and then 'Swaziland' under the lines even righter. They didn't get an acceptable answer, nor did their opponents: they are the four countries entirely south of the Tropic of Capricorn, so 'New Zealand' on the very right under three lines would be fourth. Left with Water, the Belgophiles saw '6', then 'Connecticut', and then 'Heraldic gold'. They didn't get it, their opponents did: the clues represent 'VI', 'CT' and 'OR', so something for 'IA' would complete the sequence. Now, they offered 'Indiana', which was not strictly acceptable, but Victoria recognised that they had the right idea, so let them have the points. She said she'd also have taken something that represented 'Y', as in 'VICTORY', so fair enough I guess. At the end of the second round, the Belgophiles led 7-6.
On to the Walls. The Belgophiles went first, and chose the Lion wall. Their first set arrived pretty quickly after some earlier errors: 'Chaplaincy', 'Maternity', 'ENT' and 'Outpatients' are hospital departments. A second set, 'Lee', 'Kotto', 'Bean' and 'Waltz', which are surnames of actors who've played Bond villains, followed. They identified what was left, and solved the wall on their third go: 'History', 'TNT', 'A & E' and 'Nickelodeon' are US cable channels, which they got, while 'Hermione', 'Potemkin', 'Discovery' and 'Kiel' are naval mutinies, which they didn't get. Seven points there then.
The Beaks thus could sneak into the lead if they could better that on the Water wall. After a few wrong goes, they eventually isolated 'Cole', 'Speed', 'Milburn' and 'Albert', which are surnames of Newcastle United footballers, which they couldn't quite get, so dropping three there, followed in short order by 'Station', 'Dip', 'Dog' and 'Shearer', which can all follow 'sheep'. They had the wall solved on their first attempt: 'St Katharine', 'Prince's', 'Tobacco' and 'Alexandra' are UK docks, which they got, while 'Oats', 'Dice', 'Lawn' and 'Eyes' are things that can be rolled, which they also spotted. Seven there as well, which left the Belgophiles ahead 14-13 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels would decide who went which way in the contest. 'Things found in a motorway service station' went to the Belgophiles 2-1. 'Friends in children's literature', such as 'POOH AND PIGLET', went to the Belgophiles 2-1 as well. 'Anagrams of 'GANISTER'', such as 'ANGRIEST' and 'TASERING' went to the Belgophiles 2-0, and that was time. The Belgophiles won 20-15.
Another good match, close throughout, well played both sides. Unlucky Beaks, good luck in the elimination round, well done Belgophiles, best of luck in the qualifier round!
Next week's match: the Wanderers vs the Eco-Warriors in the first eliminator.
Monday, 26 February 2018
University Challenge 2017-18: Qualification Quarter-Final 1: Newcastle vs St John's
Evening all. No lighting issues this week, but the heating is on full pelt in preparation for the cold snap on its way later this week. Well done, BTW, to blog reader Jack Bennett, of UC and OC fame, who won the first heat of this year's Brain of Britain this afternoon, beating top opposition in the form of Andy Tucker (BoB, Mastermind and OC finalist) and Sanjoy Sen of the Wanderers from OC. On with tonight though, with the first place in the semis at stake.
Newcastle won a low scoring first round match over Sheffield Hallam, but have improved in their two matches since, first beating Southampton in the second round, and then Bristol in their first quarter-final, 225-130. Hoping to carry on this upwards spiral were the unchanged four of:
Jack Reynard, from Leeds, studying Medicine
Molly Nielsen, from London, studying Medicine
Captain: Jonathan Noble, from Newcastle, studying for a PGCE
Adam Lowery, from Sunderland, studying Chemistry
St John's breezed through the early rounds with comfortable wins over St Andrews and Corpus Christi of Cambridge, before beating Ulster in their preliminary, surviving a second half fightback to win 185-135. Hoping for more of the same tonight were the also unchanged line-up of:
John-Clark Levin, from Los Angeles, studying Politics and International Studies
Rosie McKeown, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying French and German
Captain: James Devine-Stoneman, from Southall in London, studying Superconducting Spintronics
Matt Hazell, from Ringwood in Hampshire, studying Veterinary Medicine
Off we set again then, and an immediate penalty from Newcastle gave St John's the first starter of the night; two bonuses on film biographies kicked off the night's scoring. Mr Noble took his side back into positives straight away, but the Tynesiders could only take on of their first bonuses. Ms Nielsen put them on level pegging, and bonuses on astronomy gave them the lead. The first picture round, on lists of an artist's work in their original language, went to Newcastle, who took just the one bonus again, giving them a lead of 50-20.
Another penalty knocked five off the lead, but St John's couldn't get close enough to the right answer to pick up. Ms McKeown reawoke her side with the next starter though, just the one bonus following, sufficient to put them ten behind. Mr Levin took the next starter to put them level, and a full bonus house gave them the lead back. Back bit Newcastle though, Mr Noble doing the honours with 'Miller', and they retook the lead with two bonuses. St John's then proceeded to incur three consecutive penalties, none of which Newcastle were able to pick up, though their lead did increase times four in the process. Mr Levin finally broke the rot with 'Thailand', and the side quickly recouped the lost points with a full bonus set, also giving them the lead back. And a second St John's starter in a row maybe suggested they would be starting to shift into gear now; one bonus followed.
The music round, on palindromic classical pieces, went to St John's, who took just the one bonus again, nonetheless increasing their lead to 100-65. That lead increased when Mr Reynard's answer of 'succeeded a dead president' was harshly but fairly disallowed when the question asked what event preceded a list of presidents taking office; Mr Levin picked the points up with 'the assassination of their predecessor'. The bonuses were on US politics too, specifically shutdowns (no mentions of the two we've had this year!), and two were taken. Ms Nielsen finally brought Newcastle back into the game, and a full bonus set on Anglo-Saxon kings showed they certainly weren't out of it yet.
The second picture round, on paintings commissioned by the British War Memorials Committee, went to St John's, who took one bonus, increasing their lead to 135-85. Still up in the air, as proven when Mr Reynard identified 'pheasant' for the next starter ("Watch out Mr Pheasant, get back in the hedge!", as my Mum used to say when one strayed into the road!"); one bonus was sufficient to take the Tynesiders into triple figures and set up a grandstand finale.
Mr Noble kept their hopes alive with 'De Valera', and one bonus was taken on events mentioned in Billy Joel's 'We Didn't Start the Fire', the other two being, as Ken Bruce would say, 'ONE YEAR OUT!' When Mr Reynard took the next starter though, the Tynesiders had a chance to take the lead should they take a full set; they could only manage two (I got the one they didn't), sufficient to put them level. Ms McKeown blinked first on the next starter, giving St John's the lead back, and one crucial bonus was taken via the 'give the same answer three times' trick. And when Ms McKeown took the next starter, that was game over; the gong went during the bonuses, St John's won 160-135.
An excellent match between two very evenly matched teams, up for grabs until literally right at the end. Unlucky Newcastle, but a brave effort nonetheless, very best of luck in the play-offs. Very well done St John's though, and very very best of luck in the semi-finals!
The stats: Ms McKeown was the best buzzer of the night, taking her series total thus far to 20, while Ms Nielsen and Mr Noble were joint best for Newcastle with three each, Mr Noble their current top scorer with 14. On the bonuses, Newcastle converted 14 out of 24, while St John's managed 15 out of 28, with both sides incurring three penalties, so, once again, it was a match won on the buzzer. Well played both, enjoyed that match!
Next week's match: Bristol vs Ulster
Only Connect reached its final preliminary tonight, a blog of which I hope to do this week, circumstances permitting.
Newcastle won a low scoring first round match over Sheffield Hallam, but have improved in their two matches since, first beating Southampton in the second round, and then Bristol in their first quarter-final, 225-130. Hoping to carry on this upwards spiral were the unchanged four of:
Jack Reynard, from Leeds, studying Medicine
Molly Nielsen, from London, studying Medicine
Captain: Jonathan Noble, from Newcastle, studying for a PGCE
Adam Lowery, from Sunderland, studying Chemistry
St John's breezed through the early rounds with comfortable wins over St Andrews and Corpus Christi of Cambridge, before beating Ulster in their preliminary, surviving a second half fightback to win 185-135. Hoping for more of the same tonight were the also unchanged line-up of:
John-Clark Levin, from Los Angeles, studying Politics and International Studies
Rosie McKeown, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying French and German
Captain: James Devine-Stoneman, from Southall in London, studying Superconducting Spintronics
Matt Hazell, from Ringwood in Hampshire, studying Veterinary Medicine
Off we set again then, and an immediate penalty from Newcastle gave St John's the first starter of the night; two bonuses on film biographies kicked off the night's scoring. Mr Noble took his side back into positives straight away, but the Tynesiders could only take on of their first bonuses. Ms Nielsen put them on level pegging, and bonuses on astronomy gave them the lead. The first picture round, on lists of an artist's work in their original language, went to Newcastle, who took just the one bonus again, giving them a lead of 50-20.
Another penalty knocked five off the lead, but St John's couldn't get close enough to the right answer to pick up. Ms McKeown reawoke her side with the next starter though, just the one bonus following, sufficient to put them ten behind. Mr Levin took the next starter to put them level, and a full bonus house gave them the lead back. Back bit Newcastle though, Mr Noble doing the honours with 'Miller', and they retook the lead with two bonuses. St John's then proceeded to incur three consecutive penalties, none of which Newcastle were able to pick up, though their lead did increase times four in the process. Mr Levin finally broke the rot with 'Thailand', and the side quickly recouped the lost points with a full bonus set, also giving them the lead back. And a second St John's starter in a row maybe suggested they would be starting to shift into gear now; one bonus followed.
The music round, on palindromic classical pieces, went to St John's, who took just the one bonus again, nonetheless increasing their lead to 100-65. That lead increased when Mr Reynard's answer of 'succeeded a dead president' was harshly but fairly disallowed when the question asked what event preceded a list of presidents taking office; Mr Levin picked the points up with 'the assassination of their predecessor'. The bonuses were on US politics too, specifically shutdowns (no mentions of the two we've had this year!), and two were taken. Ms Nielsen finally brought Newcastle back into the game, and a full bonus set on Anglo-Saxon kings showed they certainly weren't out of it yet.
The second picture round, on paintings commissioned by the British War Memorials Committee, went to St John's, who took one bonus, increasing their lead to 135-85. Still up in the air, as proven when Mr Reynard identified 'pheasant' for the next starter ("Watch out Mr Pheasant, get back in the hedge!", as my Mum used to say when one strayed into the road!"); one bonus was sufficient to take the Tynesiders into triple figures and set up a grandstand finale.
Mr Noble kept their hopes alive with 'De Valera', and one bonus was taken on events mentioned in Billy Joel's 'We Didn't Start the Fire', the other two being, as Ken Bruce would say, 'ONE YEAR OUT!' When Mr Reynard took the next starter though, the Tynesiders had a chance to take the lead should they take a full set; they could only manage two (I got the one they didn't), sufficient to put them level. Ms McKeown blinked first on the next starter, giving St John's the lead back, and one crucial bonus was taken via the 'give the same answer three times' trick. And when Ms McKeown took the next starter, that was game over; the gong went during the bonuses, St John's won 160-135.
An excellent match between two very evenly matched teams, up for grabs until literally right at the end. Unlucky Newcastle, but a brave effort nonetheless, very best of luck in the play-offs. Very well done St John's though, and very very best of luck in the semi-finals!
The stats: Ms McKeown was the best buzzer of the night, taking her series total thus far to 20, while Ms Nielsen and Mr Noble were joint best for Newcastle with three each, Mr Noble their current top scorer with 14. On the bonuses, Newcastle converted 14 out of 24, while St John's managed 15 out of 28, with both sides incurring three penalties, so, once again, it was a match won on the buzzer. Well played both, enjoyed that match!
Next week's match: Bristol vs Ulster
Only Connect reached its final preliminary tonight, a blog of which I hope to do this week, circumstances permitting.
Tuesday, 20 February 2018
Only Connect Series 13: Preliminary Quarter-Final 3: Detectives vs Escapologists
OK, on with Only Connect early this week. I'm not going to turn my promptness of reviews into a running joke in the same way I turned by ill-fated attempt to blog Series 1 into a runner, but I am running out of intros for these blogs. Contrast to Victoria, who is still churning out excellent intros and outros.
Anyway, playing last night's match were the Detectives, Ian King, Tim Harrison and captain Tim Hall, who came straight here by beating the Theatricals and the Arrowheads, and the Escapologists, Frank Paul, Tom Rowell and captain Lydia Mizon, who lost their first match to fellow quarter-finalists the Eco-Warriors, but survived as the highest scoring runners-up, and then beat the Cricketers and the Dandies.
Round 1. The Detectives opened the night's quizzing with Twisted Flax: 'Alfie Conn (Glasgow)', then 'Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Milan)' (I had it at this), then 'Peter Beardsley (Liverpool)'; they identified them as footballers who played for both main clubs in that city, and claimed two points. The Escapologists opened their account with Two Reeds, and the picture set: we saw some roti breads, then the actress Tori Spelling (once infamously mistaken for Ingrid Bergman on an American quiz!), then three musicians playing string instruments, and finally police clashing with rioters; they spotted, just in time, that they are anagrams of each other (ROTI, TORI, TRIO and RIOT), and collected the point. The Detectives chose Eye of Horus next, and got the music set: we heard the Prisoner's Chorus from Beethoven's Fidelio, then Tom Jones with 'Green, Green Grass of Home', then 'Look Down' from Les Mis, and finally Johnny Cash with 'Folsom Prison Blues'. They identified them as songs sung by 'prisoners' and picked up another point. The Escapologists chose Water next: 'Random lists of words', then 'Names and faces', then 'Abstract images', and finally 'Pack of cards at speed'. They didn't get this one, their opponents did: they are disciplines in the World Memory Championships. For their own question, the Detectives chose Lion: 'Cornetto', then 'Red Curtain', then 'Mariachi', and finally 'Three Colours'. They didn't have it, their opponents did: they are names given to movie trilogies. Left with Horned Viper for their own question, the Escapologists saw 'Louise de Kerouaille - Duke of Richmond', then 'Barbara Villiers - Duke of Grafton', then 'Lucy Walter - Duke of Monmouth', and finally 'Nell Gwynne - Duke of St Albans'. They just about had it close enough: they are illegitimate sons of Charles II and their mothers. At the end of the first round, the Detectives led 4-3.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Detectives kicked it off with Two Reeds, and the picture set: we saw Gordon Brown, then Alan Bennett, and then a statue of Virgil. They were timed out before they could offer anything; their opponents offered 'Scott Mills', and were correct for a bonus, the sequence being the Tracy brothers who piloted Thunderbirds 4, 3, 2 and 1. For their own question, the Escapologists chose Water: 'Fernandez', then 'Rodriguez', and then 'Gonzalez'. They saw it to be the most common surnames in Spain, but their offer of 'Hernandez' was wrong; their opponents offered 'Garcia', which was correct. For their own question, the Detectives chose Twisted Flax: '4: Heathrow', then '3: Manchester', and then '2: Gatwick'. They offered '1: Stanstead', which was correct, though they didn't offer a reason; they are airports with descending numbers of terminals (Heathrow's Terminal 1 having been closed down). The Escapologists chose Lion next: '"Beginning of sexual intercourse"', then 'First marriage of Burton & Taylor'; they identified them as events of 1963 and 1964, so offered 'England winning the World Cup' as an event of 1966 for three points (the first clue being a reference to Philip Larkin's 'Annis Mirabilis'). For their final choice, the Detectives chose Horned Viper: '14 = 1', then '23 = 8', and then '32 = 9'. They didn't get it, and their opponents didn't quite get it either, maths teacher Mr Rowell chosing the wrong answer out of two: they are powers, or rather powers with the power sign removed, so '41 = 4' would complete the set. (Sorry if I haven't quite got that right, not a subject I'm that familiar with) Left with Eye of Horus, the Escapologists saw 'Joint Army-Navy', then 'Federal Executive Board', and then 'Memory Address Register'; they saw them to be things that can be abbreviated to the abbreviations of months, JAN, FEB and MAR, so offered 'Automatic Plate Recognition', which was acceptable for APR and three points. At the end of the second round, the Escapologists led 9-7.
On to the Walls. The Escapologists had first pick this time, and chose to tackle the Water wall. It proved a very tough wall indeed; though they spotted the correct links, they were unable to isolate any sets in the allotted time. They thus had to settle for bonus points: 'Huhn', 'Kip', 'Poulet' and 'Frango' are 'chicken' in various languages, which they got, 'Grimmy', 'Copping', 'Dinner' and 'Pollo' become new words when one of the double letters is removed, which they got, 'Deadly', 'Parky', 'Diddy' and 'Gambo' are nicknames of radio presenters, which they also got, while 'Biting', 'Crisp', 'Snell' and 'Rimy' are words meaning 'cold', which they got as well. Four there then.
The Detectives could thus catch up they could get a good result from the Lion wall. This also proved a tricky wall, though they did manage to isolate one set: 'Screwdriver', 'Chelsea', 'Flake' and 'Alcove' all end with bodies of water. They couldn't get anything else sorted though, so too had to collect bonuses: 'Cardiff', 'Chatsworth', 'Rosemoor' and 'Wisley' are flower shows, which they didn't see, 'Salty Dog', 'Kamikaze', 'Cape Cod' and 'Vesper' are vodka cocktails, which they did get, while 'Serotine', 'Leisler's', 'Horseshoe' and 'Bulldog' are species of bat, which they missed. Three there, which left them trailing 13-10 going into the final round.
So, still all to play for in Missing Vowels. 'Same but different', such as 'DOPPELGANGERS' and 'IDENTICAL TWINS' went to the Escapologists 3-1. 'Inflammations and the areas they affect' went to the Escapologists 3-0. 'Hyphenated English towns' went to the Escapologists 3-1. 'Operas and their composers' saw the Escapologists take the one clue there was enough time to buzz on, and that was time. The Escapologists won 23-12.
A good match, despite the very tough walls, which lowered the scoring a bit. Unlucky Detectives, but a fair performance nonetheless, good luck in the eliminators. Well done Escapologists though, and very best of luck in the qualifying round!
Next week's match: the Belgophiles vs the Beaks
Anyway, playing last night's match were the Detectives, Ian King, Tim Harrison and captain Tim Hall, who came straight here by beating the Theatricals and the Arrowheads, and the Escapologists, Frank Paul, Tom Rowell and captain Lydia Mizon, who lost their first match to fellow quarter-finalists the Eco-Warriors, but survived as the highest scoring runners-up, and then beat the Cricketers and the Dandies.
Round 1. The Detectives opened the night's quizzing with Twisted Flax: 'Alfie Conn (Glasgow)', then 'Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Milan)' (I had it at this), then 'Peter Beardsley (Liverpool)'; they identified them as footballers who played for both main clubs in that city, and claimed two points. The Escapologists opened their account with Two Reeds, and the picture set: we saw some roti breads, then the actress Tori Spelling (once infamously mistaken for Ingrid Bergman on an American quiz!), then three musicians playing string instruments, and finally police clashing with rioters; they spotted, just in time, that they are anagrams of each other (ROTI, TORI, TRIO and RIOT), and collected the point. The Detectives chose Eye of Horus next, and got the music set: we heard the Prisoner's Chorus from Beethoven's Fidelio, then Tom Jones with 'Green, Green Grass of Home', then 'Look Down' from Les Mis, and finally Johnny Cash with 'Folsom Prison Blues'. They identified them as songs sung by 'prisoners' and picked up another point. The Escapologists chose Water next: 'Random lists of words', then 'Names and faces', then 'Abstract images', and finally 'Pack of cards at speed'. They didn't get this one, their opponents did: they are disciplines in the World Memory Championships. For their own question, the Detectives chose Lion: 'Cornetto', then 'Red Curtain', then 'Mariachi', and finally 'Three Colours'. They didn't have it, their opponents did: they are names given to movie trilogies. Left with Horned Viper for their own question, the Escapologists saw 'Louise de Kerouaille - Duke of Richmond', then 'Barbara Villiers - Duke of Grafton', then 'Lucy Walter - Duke of Monmouth', and finally 'Nell Gwynne - Duke of St Albans'. They just about had it close enough: they are illegitimate sons of Charles II and their mothers. At the end of the first round, the Detectives led 4-3.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Detectives kicked it off with Two Reeds, and the picture set: we saw Gordon Brown, then Alan Bennett, and then a statue of Virgil. They were timed out before they could offer anything; their opponents offered 'Scott Mills', and were correct for a bonus, the sequence being the Tracy brothers who piloted Thunderbirds 4, 3, 2 and 1. For their own question, the Escapologists chose Water: 'Fernandez', then 'Rodriguez', and then 'Gonzalez'. They saw it to be the most common surnames in Spain, but their offer of 'Hernandez' was wrong; their opponents offered 'Garcia', which was correct. For their own question, the Detectives chose Twisted Flax: '4: Heathrow', then '3: Manchester', and then '2: Gatwick'. They offered '1: Stanstead', which was correct, though they didn't offer a reason; they are airports with descending numbers of terminals (Heathrow's Terminal 1 having been closed down). The Escapologists chose Lion next: '"Beginning of sexual intercourse"', then 'First marriage of Burton & Taylor'; they identified them as events of 1963 and 1964, so offered 'England winning the World Cup' as an event of 1966 for three points (the first clue being a reference to Philip Larkin's 'Annis Mirabilis'). For their final choice, the Detectives chose Horned Viper: '14 = 1', then '23 = 8', and then '32 = 9'. They didn't get it, and their opponents didn't quite get it either, maths teacher Mr Rowell chosing the wrong answer out of two: they are powers, or rather powers with the power sign removed, so '41 = 4' would complete the set. (Sorry if I haven't quite got that right, not a subject I'm that familiar with) Left with Eye of Horus, the Escapologists saw 'Joint Army-Navy', then 'Federal Executive Board', and then 'Memory Address Register'; they saw them to be things that can be abbreviated to the abbreviations of months, JAN, FEB and MAR, so offered 'Automatic Plate Recognition', which was acceptable for APR and three points. At the end of the second round, the Escapologists led 9-7.
On to the Walls. The Escapologists had first pick this time, and chose to tackle the Water wall. It proved a very tough wall indeed; though they spotted the correct links, they were unable to isolate any sets in the allotted time. They thus had to settle for bonus points: 'Huhn', 'Kip', 'Poulet' and 'Frango' are 'chicken' in various languages, which they got, 'Grimmy', 'Copping', 'Dinner' and 'Pollo' become new words when one of the double letters is removed, which they got, 'Deadly', 'Parky', 'Diddy' and 'Gambo' are nicknames of radio presenters, which they also got, while 'Biting', 'Crisp', 'Snell' and 'Rimy' are words meaning 'cold', which they got as well. Four there then.
The Detectives could thus catch up they could get a good result from the Lion wall. This also proved a tricky wall, though they did manage to isolate one set: 'Screwdriver', 'Chelsea', 'Flake' and 'Alcove' all end with bodies of water. They couldn't get anything else sorted though, so too had to collect bonuses: 'Cardiff', 'Chatsworth', 'Rosemoor' and 'Wisley' are flower shows, which they didn't see, 'Salty Dog', 'Kamikaze', 'Cape Cod' and 'Vesper' are vodka cocktails, which they did get, while 'Serotine', 'Leisler's', 'Horseshoe' and 'Bulldog' are species of bat, which they missed. Three there, which left them trailing 13-10 going into the final round.
So, still all to play for in Missing Vowels. 'Same but different', such as 'DOPPELGANGERS' and 'IDENTICAL TWINS' went to the Escapologists 3-1. 'Inflammations and the areas they affect' went to the Escapologists 3-0. 'Hyphenated English towns' went to the Escapologists 3-1. 'Operas and their composers' saw the Escapologists take the one clue there was enough time to buzz on, and that was time. The Escapologists won 23-12.
A good match, despite the very tough walls, which lowered the scoring a bit. Unlucky Detectives, but a fair performance nonetheless, good luck in the eliminators. Well done Escapologists though, and very best of luck in the qualifying round!
Next week's match: the Belgophiles vs the Beaks
Monday, 19 February 2018
University Challenge 2017-18: Preliminary Quarter-Final 4: Edinburgh vs Emmanuel
Evening all. You join me in the dark for my blog this evening, as one of the lightbulbs has gone in my front room, and I'm leaving it off for a bit to cool down before I try and change it later. If I have a spare, I forget if I do. So apologies for any typos I fail to spot. Joining us in the dark tonight were two teams who started the group stage as outsiders, but not total write-offs; there is never such a thing in the crazy world of Quizzy Mondays.
Edinburgh got here via two five points victories over proven good opponents, firstly over fellow quarter-finalists Ulster in the first round by 170-165, and then U.C.L. in the second by 175-170. Hoping to equal or better that tonight were the unchanged four of:
John Heaton-Armstrong, from Edinburgh, studying Russian and History
Stanley Wang, from Edinburgh, studying Speech and Language Processing
Captain: Innis Carson, from Glasgow, studying Chemistry
Philippa Stone, from Oxford, studying Biology
Emmanuel College Cambridge also had a close first round match, beating St Hugh's of Oxford 170-155, before a more comfortable win over Strathclyde in the second, 170-105. Also hoping for a result as good or better than those were the also unchanged line-up of:
Ed Derby, from Manchester, studying Physics
Kitty Chevallier, from Hampshire, studying Arabic and Hindi
Captain: Alex Mistlin, from Islington, studying Politics and International Relations
James Fraser, from Bristol, studying Medicine
Off we set again then, and Ms Chevallier was in very quickly for the first starter to get Emmanuel off the mark first; a full bonus set on alliteration gave them a good start to the night. Mr Wang was just as prompt at getting Edinburgh off the mark, and they too took a full set on statues. A starter was dropped, before Edinburgh let slip five points, allowing Emmanuel to take the lead, just the one bonus following this time. Mr Carson recovered Edinburgh's lost ground, and a second full bonus set gave them a narrow lead. The first picture round, on stills from films of the New Queer Cinema movement, went to Emmanuel, with Edinburgh losing another five on a substitute starter; one bonus followed, giving the Cambridge side a lead of 55-40.
A nice starter followed on the three English cities that are mentioned on a standard Monopoly board; I had Leicester, Ms Chevallier provided that and Coventry for the points, and Liverpool was the other. Emmanuel took one bonus on a tricky science set I popped out for a moment during to fetch my glasses and some torches to help me see better. Edinburgh then slipped up again, giving Emmanuel another starter; bonuses on the Seven churches of Asia, as listed in the Book of Revelation, gave them one correct answer and an amusing guess on another that Paxo liked!
The music starter was missed by both sides; the bonuses, on classical pieces associated with the French soprano Pauline Viardot, went to Edinburgh; nothing came of them though, leaving them trailing 85-45. That lead increased when Mr Fraser took the next starter, and one bonus took the Cambridge side into triple figures. Mr Carson retrieved the deficit for Edinburgh with 'fish'; one bonus followed on Israeli politician Chaim Weizmann. A second starter in a row went the Edinburgh captain's way, as did another single bonus, keeping them well in touch with the leaders.
The second picture round, on writers who have craters on Mars named after them, went to Emmanuel, who took just the one bonus again, leaving their lead at 115-75 heading into the home straight. Mr Carson kept his side in the game by taking the next starter, and bonuses on Angela Merkle, including a topical one on her party, gave them, again, just one correct answer.
Ms Stone broke Edinburgh into triple figures by taking the next starter, and a well-timed full bonus set on dinosaurs put the scores level with very little time go. Next starter would surely win it, who won gold in the men's football in Rio; Mr Mistlin zigged with Argentina, Mr Wang zagged with Brazil, and that might just have won it for Edinburgh. Indeed, though they took no bonuses, the gong went just after them; Edinburgh won 125-110.
A slow low scoring match, but a close one, with a well-timed spurt giving Edinburgh the win. Unlucky Emmanuel, just pipped right at the end, but best of luck in the elimination round. Well done Edinburgh though on another close win against proven good opponents, and best of luck in the qualifiers!
The stats: Mr Carson was, just, the best buzzer of the night with five, while Ms Chevallier was Emmanuel's best with four. On the bonuses, Edinburgh converted 12 out of 23 (with three penalties), while Emmanuel managed 9 out of 21 (with one penalty), so a better bonus rate plus that final starter was where the game was won.
Next week's match: Newcastle vs St John's for the first place in the semis.
Only Connect carried on its group phase tonight as well, and fingers crossed I can get my blog done promptly this week.
Edinburgh got here via two five points victories over proven good opponents, firstly over fellow quarter-finalists Ulster in the first round by 170-165, and then U.C.L. in the second by 175-170. Hoping to equal or better that tonight were the unchanged four of:
John Heaton-Armstrong, from Edinburgh, studying Russian and History
Stanley Wang, from Edinburgh, studying Speech and Language Processing
Captain: Innis Carson, from Glasgow, studying Chemistry
Philippa Stone, from Oxford, studying Biology
Emmanuel College Cambridge also had a close first round match, beating St Hugh's of Oxford 170-155, before a more comfortable win over Strathclyde in the second, 170-105. Also hoping for a result as good or better than those were the also unchanged line-up of:
Ed Derby, from Manchester, studying Physics
Kitty Chevallier, from Hampshire, studying Arabic and Hindi
Captain: Alex Mistlin, from Islington, studying Politics and International Relations
James Fraser, from Bristol, studying Medicine
Off we set again then, and Ms Chevallier was in very quickly for the first starter to get Emmanuel off the mark first; a full bonus set on alliteration gave them a good start to the night. Mr Wang was just as prompt at getting Edinburgh off the mark, and they too took a full set on statues. A starter was dropped, before Edinburgh let slip five points, allowing Emmanuel to take the lead, just the one bonus following this time. Mr Carson recovered Edinburgh's lost ground, and a second full bonus set gave them a narrow lead. The first picture round, on stills from films of the New Queer Cinema movement, went to Emmanuel, with Edinburgh losing another five on a substitute starter; one bonus followed, giving the Cambridge side a lead of 55-40.
A nice starter followed on the three English cities that are mentioned on a standard Monopoly board; I had Leicester, Ms Chevallier provided that and Coventry for the points, and Liverpool was the other. Emmanuel took one bonus on a tricky science set I popped out for a moment during to fetch my glasses and some torches to help me see better. Edinburgh then slipped up again, giving Emmanuel another starter; bonuses on the Seven churches of Asia, as listed in the Book of Revelation, gave them one correct answer and an amusing guess on another that Paxo liked!
The music starter was missed by both sides; the bonuses, on classical pieces associated with the French soprano Pauline Viardot, went to Edinburgh; nothing came of them though, leaving them trailing 85-45. That lead increased when Mr Fraser took the next starter, and one bonus took the Cambridge side into triple figures. Mr Carson retrieved the deficit for Edinburgh with 'fish'; one bonus followed on Israeli politician Chaim Weizmann. A second starter in a row went the Edinburgh captain's way, as did another single bonus, keeping them well in touch with the leaders.
The second picture round, on writers who have craters on Mars named after them, went to Emmanuel, who took just the one bonus again, leaving their lead at 115-75 heading into the home straight. Mr Carson kept his side in the game by taking the next starter, and bonuses on Angela Merkle, including a topical one on her party, gave them, again, just one correct answer.
Ms Stone broke Edinburgh into triple figures by taking the next starter, and a well-timed full bonus set on dinosaurs put the scores level with very little time go. Next starter would surely win it, who won gold in the men's football in Rio; Mr Mistlin zigged with Argentina, Mr Wang zagged with Brazil, and that might just have won it for Edinburgh. Indeed, though they took no bonuses, the gong went just after them; Edinburgh won 125-110.
A slow low scoring match, but a close one, with a well-timed spurt giving Edinburgh the win. Unlucky Emmanuel, just pipped right at the end, but best of luck in the elimination round. Well done Edinburgh though on another close win against proven good opponents, and best of luck in the qualifiers!
The stats: Mr Carson was, just, the best buzzer of the night with five, while Ms Chevallier was Emmanuel's best with four. On the bonuses, Edinburgh converted 12 out of 23 (with three penalties), while Emmanuel managed 9 out of 21 (with one penalty), so a better bonus rate plus that final starter was where the game was won.
Next week's match: Newcastle vs St John's for the first place in the semis.
Only Connect carried on its group phase tonight as well, and fingers crossed I can get my blog done promptly this week.
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