Only Connect Match 15

Match 15: Orienteers v. Gamesmasters

The Orienteers - Paul Beecher, Simon Spiro and Sean Blanchflower – defeated the Romantics first time out. Standing between them and a semi final berth were the Gamesmasters - Filip Drnovšek Zorko, James Robson and skipper Frederic Heath-Renn – who comfortably beat the Coders in their own last match. Here’s an interesting fact – both of these teams bosted a University Challenge winner – Filip and Sean. Filip earned Kudos – although no extra points – by proving he could solve a rubik’s cube in less than 18 seconds prior to the first question.

Round One – What’s the Connection?

Captain Sean of the Teers picked twisted flax to start. Now, we started with Renaissance woodwind instrument. I must admit that the word serpent came to mind. It came to Sean’s mind as well. Italian croissant was the second. Now, it did idly occur to me that I was once asked what you’d get if you asked for a cornetto in an Italian restaurant, and the answer was actually a croissant. Bearing in mind you can see where a cornetto could be an instrument, I went for it off two. The next clue was Frost/Pegg Trilogy. Well, I didn’t know that Shaun of the Dead etc has come to be known as the cornetto and blood trilogy, but the Teers did, and this was where they went for it. The clue they didn’t need was the rewrite of O Sole Mio. Captain Frederic of the Gams gave due weight to the second vowel of Hornèd when opting for the viper. This meant they had syphilis, should you pardon the expression. – Rejected names for the 7 Dwarves? – I wondered. Sweating Sickness came second. Rickets was third. I’ll be honest, I didn’t hae it until the last – Football Hooliganism. So obviously they have all been called the English disease. The Gams had it practically the same time I did, and by waiting they salvaged a point and prevented the Teers from taking what would surely have been a bonus. With Lion the Teers wwere presented – North Korea. Too many possibilities to guess for that. The State of Israel came second. Now, this made me wonder if we were looking at something along the lines of – came into being in 1948.Hells Angels for me neither confirmed nor denied it. The Teers were working on stars on their flags. National Health service – the last clue – for me confirmed my 1948 hypothesis. Wavering between 47 and 48, the Teers zagged with 48, correctly so. The Gams then opted for Eye of Horus and the pictures. We saw a motorcyclist – the symbol for the artist formerly known as the artist formerly known as Prince – Wilson from Castaway – and Anthony Head from the Gold Blend ads. I didn’t get it – neither did the Gams. A good shout from the Teers saw them take a bonus with manufacturers of tennis equipment. Joey Dunlop was the motorcyclist.Now this was very unusual for OC. You see the fact that they used Wilson was a bit more of a clue than usual, since the ball takes its name from the sporting equipment company. The Teers last choice was Two Reeds, and the music. I recognised the third – music from the Royal Fireworks – and the Teers kindly informed me that the last was Firework by Katy Perry. The Teers had it off four. Having thus dodged the music, the Gams were left with water. Estonia offered nothing in the way of a five pointer – then The Author of the Enormous Room. That was the famous punctuationophobe e e cummings. Mc2 mc2 – (that should look like squared) – meant nowt to me, but it did enough to give the Gams EE. Actually, although I didn’t see it, it makes perfect sense. That meant that they trailed the Teers by 3 to 5.

Round Two – What Comes Fourth?

Lion kicked off for the Teers with 100: Bannerman, Australia. Now, Charles Bannerman was the first cricketer ever to score a test century, and yes, he was Australian. But what would the sequence actually be? I took a punt on 400: Lara, West Indies, Brian Lara being the first, and as far as I know only man to score a quadruple test century. The second clue – 200: Murdoch, Australia looked good for my chances of a 5 pointer. The third was 300: Sandham, England. Well, I didn’t know Sandham or Murdoch, but I fancied my points were safe. The Teers hadn’t made the cricket connection by the time the last clue came up, but at the death Sean tried 400: Bradman, Australia. A noble attempt. Filip gave the correct answer – mine, and took a timely bonus. Would I have gambled in the studio? No. Two Reeds gave the Gams 4^th: Butler. Am I the only person whom that name immediately makes me think of the phrase – I ‘ate you Butler? Probably. Second clue was 3^rd: Kennedy. For some reason I was thinking Gone With the Wind here. Rhett Butler was Scarlett’s 3^rd husband, and Kennedy her second. Charles Hamilton was first. But where then? Unless it was her surnames, in which case it would be 1^st: O’Hara. That was my guess off two. Indeed the next clue was 2^nd: Hamilton. I don’t honestly think they had a Scooby Doo, and went with US politics. The Teers did something similar. Still, it was their pick next, and they picked Eye of Horus. The first clue was group – the second publisher. I hadn’t a handle on it at this point. Title came third. Having done well with the last two I was out with the washing on this set. So was everyone. Apparently they are all parts of an ISBN number, the last part being a check digit. Fair enough. Twisted Flax began with a picture of Simon Mayo. Irish counties – but which order, then? James Galway came next. What I guessed was Clare college came third. Now, I’ll be honest, I didn’t know which was next – and so guessed Limerick as it could be easily represented. The Gams went for Cork – but it was Limerick as the Teers knew. They were all going down the west coast. The clue example given began with

There once was a quiz host named Vicky . .

Hmm – now there’s a challenge: -

There once was a quiz host named Vicky

Whose game was exceedingly tricky

Her witty corrections

To unsolved connections

Are far more than taking the mickey

No?  Well, please yourselves. Captain Sean showed disdain for the powers of the Horned one by not voicing the second vowel. For this display of insouciance he received estate – and one observation he made was the brilliant one that this was Italian for Summer. This made a lot of sense when the second clue was autunno. Spring then – which is primavera. Not sure if I would have had it off two or three, but the Teers took it from two. Very good shout, that. Now, for the last set, the Gams were given the female gender symbol with (East Coast): dress sense. Fair enough. Then the same symbol and (Southern): Accent. The third clue was the same symbol, with (Midwest): Hospitality etc. Nope, nope and nope. The Teers didn’t have it. Sean decoded it as referring to the Beach Boys’ song - California Girls – East coast girls are hip I really dig those styles they wear etc. Even with this though he didn’t know that it was about Northern girls kissing. Wonderfully nasty set – so clever. This meant that going into the walls the Teers led by 9 – 4.

Round Three – The Connecting Walls

Gams chose Lion to begin. I could see a set of fictional snakes to start, but the Gams worked on separating Henle – Eustachi – Falloppio – Achilles – all of which are in the body – then they worked steadily at isolating the snakes – Mara (from Dr. Who – Kinda and Snakedance) – Sir Hiss – Kaa and Nagini. There looked to be a set of Mediterranean Islands there – and they found Corsica – Hydra – Lesbos and Stromboli. This left Even – Able – Adam and Panama. I was sure they were barking up the right tree with parts of famous palindromes, and they were. 10 points, a full set. Job done.

Water provided the Teers with a set of people who gave their names to diseases. They tried to work out the other connections first before putting any of them in. In fact they started with backing groups first , finding Gang (Kool and the) – News – Four Seasons and Ants. They then took out Hodgkin – Alzheimer – Bell and Huntington as the people who gave their names to diseases. They could see a number of time indicators, but not what linked what was left. I thought it was as simple as they all have homophones, but a closer look revealed that they are all homophones for containers – sort of. With ten seconds left they took out the time ones – whistle – falling ball – pips and Cuckoo. This left - earn – weil – your and pale. They had it worked out by this time, and claimed their own full house. 19 – 14.

Round Four – Missing Vowels

5 points is a significant lead, but it can be overturned. The first set was Novels first published in 1945. These went 3 – 0 to the Gams. 19 – 17. Things which are worth 5 points were worth 2 points to each team – 21 – 19. Same spelling, different pronunciation brought one point each dropped but another point for the Teers. 22 – 19, and the Teers go through, while the Gams have to play again. A great game and well played both.