University Challenge - Round Two - Match Six

Manchester v. Queens’ Cambridge

Manchester are trying to fulfill a hattrick of wins this year, and the team of Ed Woudhuysen, Joe Day, Jonathan Collings and their captain Elizabeth Mitchell scored a faily crushing victory over Brasenose in the first round. The Queens’ team of Paul Merchant, Rachel Gregory, David Phillips, and captain Rhys Jackson-Jones saw off Durham in a terrific first round tussle. On with the show.

Paul Merchant lost five on the first starter, not knowing that pavanine refers to peacocks. Elizabeth Mitchell had that one to open Manchester’s account. Oaths gave them an early full set of bonuses. Nobody knew that The Bland leading the Bland was originally a quote to describe the influence of television. The rather chestnutty Farmer George was taken by Jonathan Collings, who knew it referred to George III. Shopping arcades only brought two correct answers, but there was no doubt that Manchester were starting in imperious fashion. Rachel Gregory opened her side’s account , recognizing definitions of the term malignant. This led to bonuses on British raptors. They managed one. I was very pleased with myself for linking the name Harry Brearly with stainless steel, which Joe Day was pleased to confi9rm for Manchester. A UC special set of bonuses on words ending with the same 4 letters – enna as it turned out – promised much and delivered on its promise with another full house. The next starter described a country house , which got easier the further the description went. Horse trials and Olympic – were enough to identify it as Badminton, as Jonathan Collings was the first to buzz in to say. Now, I was delighted to receive a high 5 from my daughter Jessie – who helped me win the quiz on Sunday evening, for the record – for remembering Gay – Lussac of the Gay Lussac scale for one of the next bonuses. I also knew the lightest halogen – two science bonuses in a row. Blimey – I knew that Lavoisier was beheaded in the French Revolution too. A full set on Science? Put out the flags! Manchester managed 2, and you sensed that the juggernaut was building up momentum and was going to take some stopping in this show. Rachel Gregory identified the rump part of a cow for the picture starter, and they went on to identify one of the other cuts. Joe Day buzzed in too early on the next, but Queens’ didn’t know The Shop Doctrine either. Jonathan Collings knew the term The antipope, and this earned a set on mythology, of which they earned two. I have to say that this show was seeing my best performance on the questions for some time – the sets just seemed to really suit me last night. As they were suiting Manchester as well. 10 minutes in, and they led by 105 – 25, and a 300+ total seemed a distinct possibility.

I didn’t understand the next question, but David Phillips knew that the answer was the Speed of Light. This gave Queens’ bonuses on the 1904 Olympic Games. A full set for me, and one for Queens’ as well. Nice to hear a shout out for Fred Lorz, mentioned in countless books about the Olympics (including mine) for hitching a lift to the end of the Marathon and posing as the winner. Nobody knew that it’s the basenji that can’t bark – a bit of an old chestnut, that one. Ed Woudhuysen knew that Andy Burhnam came 4th in the 2010 Labour Leadership contest. Publications netted another two bonuses. Manchester powered on. Jonathan Collings only needed to hear what given name links the French Army Officer wrongly accused in 1894 . . . to buzz in with Alfred, as in Dreyfus. Wasn’t he Inspector Clouseau’s boss? Matehmatics bonuses temporarily halted my scoring spree, and also provided the first set of which Manchester didn’t get any. For the music starter Elizabeth Mitchell recognized the Who ( good West London boys) performing I Can See For Miles. The link with the bonus songs was that all of them were used for astronauts’ wake up calls at one time or another. Manchester recognized one of them, which brought up the 150. Rachel Gregory recognized several types of wave, to earn bonuses on natural philosophers who all shared the same given name – Mary. They took one.Paul Merchant knew that Aufklaeren is the German word for the Enlightenment. Bonuses on Shakespeare’s History plays brought them one more bonus. Jonathan Collings knew that 4 of the 8 women’s singles quarter finalists at the 2011 Wimbledon ended with ova. Mountains saw them taketwo. This put their score up to 170 as opposed to Queens’ 80 at the 20 minute mark, and barring a comeback of Lazarus proportions the match as a competition was over.

Ironically that man Collings won the buzzer race for the next starter to explain that ‘Jesus wept.’ for Lazarus. Biological chemistry , by rights, should be completely off limits to me, but although I don’t know how I know it, I know that an octopus has copper rather than iron in its blood stream. That was the only one of those bonuses I had, but Manchester had two. On the map of the USA and the painting alongside it, Rachel Gregory recognized Elizabeth I and the state of Virginia which was named after her. More of the same followed for the bonuses, of which Queens’ managed none, I’m afraid. Joe Day knew that the word Hierarchy derives from the Greek for sacred ruler. The bonuses that followed were on art in the 19th century, and Manchester took one of them. JP announced that there were five minutes to go, and Manchester were at 105. Joe Day answered correctly that Curiosity landed on Galle crater, where there were no cats for it to kill, apparently. Chancellors of the Exchequer rather quickly added 10 points. Jonathan Collings won the buzzer race to announce that Brunel’s three steamships were all linked by the adjective Great. It was a bit of an afterthought with the last and greatest – which was always going to be called Leviathan until a last minute change of heart saw him go for The Great Eastern. Winners of the Palm d’Or brought another full house at double quick speed. Nobody knew Anthony Giddens. Elizabeth Mitchell knew that three consecutive presidents were linked by double Os – Coolidge – Hoover – Roosevelt. Neo Palladian architecture asked for the counties with certain houses. Elizabeth Mitchell reeled these off quickly for a full house. I didn’t understand the next, but David Pillips had it, and nict – words provided two bonuses. Elizabeth Mitchell knew that Sienna – Umbre and Ochre can all be preceded by Burnt. Islands and Straits delivered another lightning quick full set. Jonathan Collings knew that estival is the summer equivalent of hibernal. Which meant that Manchester had scored a century in less than five minutes. The bonuses on structures in Scotland brought them up to 315. There was time for one more starter, and Jonathan Collings took it, correctly and succinctly spelling succinct. The gong ended a fantastic performance from Manchester who ended with 325 to 110. That’s quite an aggregate for the show. Hard lines for Queens’, but you were beaten by a fine team on the top of their game. Well done Manchester – exceptional performance.

Jeremy Paxman Watch

Nothing for the first ten minutes tonight. There was a touch of smugness when Rachel Gregory identified the Congo Dog, which can’t bark as the Rhodesian Ridgeback. “Nope!” he intoned, “They can bark. “ They’re not the only ones either, are they Jez?
He was highly amused by Queens’ answer of Mary Beard for Dame Mary Warnock, but stifled his amusement and merely observed ‘Slightly outside her field, I fear.’ Twas almost as if Robert Robinson was in the room.
In a comment on the double O question he said that the three consecutive presidents were “Coolidge – Theodore Roosevelt and so on.” Well, actually Jez, Theodore was quite a bit earlier. The one you were looking for was his cousin and nephew in law, Franklin. Ooops!

Interesting Fact That I Didn’t Already Know Of The Week

The New York Borough of Queens is named after Queen Catherine of Braganza.