Or was there nothing controversial enough to discuss?!
Oh, I'll kick off...
I thought that she was a bit quick to give 'Agatha Christie Characters' when the answer was 'Poirot Characters'. I'd have expected them to be asked to expand on it
The 1p, 2p, 5p, 1p 2p 5p 10p, 1p 2p 5p 10p 20p.....etc wasn't really worthy of Only Connect
The bit about explaining the length of days with pieces of fruit was the sort of over-laboured wacky cack you'd expect on Never Mind The Buzzcocks.
The 'Party Leaders with an amusingly-changed letter' was a misnomer.
I thought that she was a bit quick to give 'Agatha Christie Characters' when the answer was 'Poirot Characters'. I'd have expected them to be asked to expand on it
The 1p, 2p, 5p, 1p 2p 5p 10p, 1p 2p 5p 10p 20p.....etc wasn't really worthy of Only Connect
The bit about explaining the length of days with pieces of fruit was the sort of over-laboured wacky cack you'd expect on Never Mind The Buzzcocks.
The 'Party Leaders with an amusingly-changed letter' was a misnomer.
Yeah, they were all weird questions. Not worthy of OC. There was a question a while back about the inscriptions on the sides of £2 coins, but anyone who hasn't worked out there is a shield pattern on the back of coins would have no place on an OC team, so why put that very question in OC?
The use of fruit to describe what had already been given was a laboured play on ISIHAC's description of one tune to the tune of another. The coins question was too easy, the one-letter change was toddler-level testing, and my beloved VC's cringeworthy speech at the end where she waffled away into the fade was awful.
Though, as we're all being Negative Nancies today, I will add that I quite liked the MIchael Jackson question (even if it doesn't stand up to the very strictest scrutiny)..
The use of fruit to describe what had already been given was a laboured play on ISIHAC's description of one tune to the tune of another. The coins question was too easy, the one-letter change was toddler-level testing, and my beloved VC's cringeworthy speech at the end where she waffled away into the fade was awful.
Is it the move to BBC2? Who knows..
This is series 10. It must be increasingly difficult to come up with questions for round 2 - where the connecting items form a sequence.
This is series 10. It must be increasingly difficult to come up with questions for round 2 - where the connecting items form a sequence.
Not sure I agree. I find those much easier to construct than good questions for round one. There are an awful lot of things in the world that go in some kind of sequence.
The laboured stuff with the fruit was an utter waste of time and dreadfully unfunny.
I agree. There are a couple of things I like about Victoria, but she seems to be believing her own publicity these days, and that she's now the funniest woman on TV (not a difficult crown to grab).
Though, as we're all being Negative Nancies today, I will add that I quite liked the MIchael Jackson question (even if it doesn't stand up to the very strictest scrutiny)..
There was a huge pedantic discussion in this thread about a question she allowed, so I'm risking another here, however in this instance it's a round 1, not 2 question, so the answer should be clear cut. Get the connection.
The team answered "things that have affected Michael Jackson" and were awarded the point. Yet, the specific answer was "Subjects of MJ's songs"
I'm not sure about paternity suites, but I'd be surprised if racism hasn't affected him in his life (well his earlier years) but I'm pretty certain Michael Jackson hasn't ever been affected by a sentient killer rat.
It would have been incredibly harsh to deny the team who'd yet to score at that point just because their guess from left field wasn't framed perfectly.
The coin shield question wasn't tough enough, we kept thinking that there must be more to it than that. The science explanation was deliberately bizarre - blame the team members for not providing enough interesting banter to allow them to cut it out.
It would have been incredibly harsh to deny the team who'd yet to score at that point just because their guess from left field wasn't framed perfectly.
Well, yeah but it is an actual connection. Had they said "Michael Jackson", would that have been enough or would VCM have asked for more?
If she did, and "Song titles" was offered, that would be wrong, but I think "things that have affected MJ" is also too far away.
TBH, as a clue Zombies is a bit off too, since the song Thriller, is not about Zombies, at all.
The use of fruit to describe what had already been given was a laboured play on ISIHAC's description of one tune to the tune of another. The coins question was too easy, the one-letter change was toddler-level testing, and my beloved VC's cringeworthy speech at the end where she waffled away into the fade was awful.
Is it the move to BBC2? Who knows..
I was disappointed with VCMs wittering on last night. She can be witty, sarcastic and funny but that was cringy.
Also, not sure why she needed a long discussion with the question editor to figure out the hours in a day answer.
It's also creeping in that if a team gets a question wrong she'll describe the answer in a way that she knew it and it was so easy when you think about it that anyone should know it, when pretty much everytime it's only because she's reading off a card.
But both Stephen Fry and Victoria Coren do know huge amounts of stuff - note how often when the guests on QI bring up something tangentially related that he already knows what they're saying and can provide more information. VCM also knows lots (though genuinely doesn't understand the knockout format).
On the length of days question, the team captain just said he was unsure why it was a sequence - all that needed to be said was that it was the four shortest ones in descending order. He didn't say he was unsure what the definition of a day was!
Some of VCM's witticisms can be funny, others just have me thinking "please stop talking and move on to the next question". This fell into the latter category.
The closing bit where she waffled on and then the music & credits cut in over the top - I get the "joke" but I didn't think that worked all that well either. (Was that this week or last week? I forget)
But both Stephen Fry and Victoria Coren do know huge amounts of stuff - note how often when the guests on QI bring up something tangentially related that he already knows what they're saying and can provide more information. VCM also knows lots (though genuinely doesn't understand the knockout format).
Not so sure about Stephen Fry, I have heard him go off the script several times on Qi and he has talked complete #####cks but he can do it very convincingly.
I thought the last set of questions in the missing vowels round this evening were utterly useless and the team that got one wrong were simply confused by what the point of it was. Saying the word 'protest' with emphasis on a different syllable doesn't change it's meaning, it's still the same word. There are some words that do have different meanings depending on pronunciation and context while being spelled the same but 'protest' isn't one of them. I can completely understand the confusion of the team that got that wrong, as I did the same thing - "protest and er... but it's the same word..."
If you can't come up with four decent questions in a given category, don't put the category in there.
I thought the last set of questions in the missing vowels round this evening were utterly useless and the team that got one wrong were simply confused by what the point of it was. Saying the word 'protest' with emphasis on a different syllable doesn't change it's meaning, it's still the same word. There are some words that do have different meanings depending on pronunciation and context while being spelled the same but 'protest' isn't one of them. I can completely understand the confusion of the team that got that wrong, as I did the same thing - "protest and er... but it's the same word..."
If you can't come up with four decent questions in a given category, don't put the category in there.
The category was the same word with a different pronunciation, not different meaning.
The word protest has the same meaning whichever way it's pronounced, but the context of how it is being used is changed depending on whether it's said as a verb or a noun.
Must agree with Littlegirlof7. It was fair and it is meant to be hard. This is the only show that makes me feel thick sometimes. I do think the music questions are pretty uniformly lowbrow though.
Must agree with Littlegirlof7. It was fair and it is meant to be hard. This is the only show that makes me feel thick sometimes. I do think the music questions are pretty uniformly lowbrow though.
I'm getting better at this but worse at University Challenge.
Starting to fall down a bit in the Connecting Wall in recent weeks though.
The word protest has the same meaning whichever way it's pronounced, but the context of how it is being used is changed depending on whether it's said as a verb or a noun.
I'm going to protest.
I was part of a protest.
Eh?
The word has different meanings depending on how it is pronounced. With the stress on the first syllable it is a noun, with the stress on the second it is a verb. Hence they are different meanings - they relate to the same concept but they have different meanings - one means to do something, one relates to a thing.
Saying PROT-est (as the contestant did) rather than PROE-test is just pronouncing the verb slightly differently, and I think VCM was right not to allow it.
I agree. There are a couple of things I like about Victoria, but she seems to be believing her own publicity these days, and that she's now the funniest woman on TV (not a difficult crown to grab).
Is it my imagination or is there more 'banter' in the show now it's moved to BBC2? Let's face it, we all only watch for the questions and so much time seems to be wasted on inane chats which we're supposed to find funny. I usually end up saying 'Oh do get on with it, ffs!'.
ETA: and the barcode question tonight was absurd.
ETA2: and I recognised the horrid Zorky person from University Challenge. He was equally unbearable on that too.
The word has different meanings depending on how it is pronounced. With the stress on the first syllable it is a noun, with the stress on the second it is a verb. Hence they are different meanings - they relate to the same concept but they have different meanings - one means to do something, one relates to a thing.
Saying PROT-est (as the contestant did) rather than PROE-test is just pronouncing the verb slightly differently, and I think VCM was right not to allow it.
You've confused yourself by misunderstanding and then partly reiterating what I had already said.
The word means the same thing as in its definition, but its context is changed depending on whether it is pronounced as a verb or a noun. The meaning isn't changed by its pronunciation, the context is. As a verb or a noun the meaning of the word protest remains the same.
Comments
Oh, I'll kick off...
I thought that she was a bit quick to give 'Agatha Christie Characters' when the answer was 'Poirot Characters'. I'd have expected them to be asked to expand on it
The 1p, 2p, 5p, 1p 2p 5p 10p, 1p 2p 5p 10p 20p.....etc wasn't really worthy of Only Connect
The bit about explaining the length of days with pieces of fruit was the sort of over-laboured wacky cack you'd expect on Never Mind The Buzzcocks.
The 'Party Leaders with an amusingly-changed letter' was a misnomer.
Yeah, they were all weird questions. Not worthy of OC. There was a question a while back about the inscriptions on the sides of £2 coins, but anyone who hasn't worked out there is a shield pattern on the back of coins would have no place on an OC team, so why put that very question in OC?
And, to be honest, it isn't like anyone was unsure what 'a day' was, just why the sequence was what it was...
The use of fruit to describe what had already been given was a laboured play on ISIHAC's description of one tune to the tune of another. The coins question was too easy, the one-letter change was toddler-level testing, and my beloved VC's cringeworthy speech at the end where she waffled away into the fade was awful.
Is it the move to BBC2? Who knows..
And the various bits of fruit weren't to scale. Shocking!
This is series 10. It must be increasingly difficult to come up with questions for round 2 - where the connecting items form a sequence.
Not sure I agree. I find those much easier to construct than good questions for round one. There are an awful lot of things in the world that go in some kind of sequence.
I agree. There are a couple of things I like about Victoria, but she seems to be believing her own publicity these days, and that she's now the funniest woman on TV (not a difficult crown to grab).
There was a huge pedantic discussion in this thread about a question she allowed, so I'm risking another here, however in this instance it's a round 1, not 2 question, so the answer should be clear cut. Get the connection.
The team answered "things that have affected Michael Jackson" and were awarded the point. Yet, the specific answer was "Subjects of MJ's songs"
I'm not sure about paternity suites, but I'd be surprised if racism hasn't affected him in his life (well his earlier years) but I'm pretty certain Michael Jackson hasn't ever been affected by a sentient killer rat.
The coin shield question wasn't tough enough, we kept thinking that there must be more to it than that. The science explanation was deliberately bizarre - blame the team members for not providing enough interesting banter to allow them to cut it out.
Well, yeah but it is an actual connection. Had they said "Michael Jackson", would that have been enough or would VCM have asked for more?
If she did, and "Song titles" was offered, that would be wrong, but I think "things that have affected MJ" is also too far away.
TBH, as a clue Zombies is a bit off too, since the song Thriller, is not about Zombies, at all.
Also, not sure why she needed a long discussion with the question editor to figure out the hours in a day answer.
It's also creeping in that if a team gets a question wrong she'll describe the answer in a way that she knew it and it was so easy when you think about it that anyone should know it, when pretty much everytime it's only because she's reading off a card.
Stephen Fry does the same on QI.
Some of VCM's witticisms can be funny, others just have me thinking "please stop talking and move on to the next question". This fell into the latter category.
The closing bit where she waffled on and then the music & credits cut in over the top - I get the "joke" but I didn't think that worked all that well either. (Was that this week or last week? I forget)
Not so sure about Stephen Fry, I have heard him go off the script several times on Qi and he has talked complete #####cks but he can do it very convincingly.
If you can't come up with four decent questions in a given category, don't put the category in there.
The category was the same word with a different pronunciation, not different meaning.
The word protest has the same meaning whichever way it's pronounced, but the context of how it is being used is changed depending on whether it's said as a verb or a noun.
I'm going to protest.
I was part of a protest.
I'm getting better at this but worse at University Challenge.
Starting to fall down a bit in the Connecting Wall in recent weeks though.
Eh?
The word has different meanings depending on how it is pronounced. With the stress on the first syllable it is a noun, with the stress on the second it is a verb. Hence they are different meanings - they relate to the same concept but they have different meanings - one means to do something, one relates to a thing.
I'm going to proTEST.
I was part of a PROtest.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/protest
Saying PROT-est (as the contestant did) rather than PROE-test is just pronouncing the verb slightly differently, and I think VCM was right not to allow it.
Is it my imagination or is there more 'banter' in the show now it's moved to BBC2? Let's face it, we all only watch for the questions and so much time seems to be wasted on inane chats which we're supposed to find funny. I usually end up saying 'Oh do get on with it, ffs!'.
ETA: and the barcode question tonight was absurd.
ETA2: and I recognised the horrid Zorky person from University Challenge. He was equally unbearable on that too.
You've confused yourself by misunderstanding and then partly reiterating what I had already said.
The word means the same thing as in its definition, but its context is changed depending on whether it is pronounced as a verb or a noun. The meaning isn't changed by its pronunciation, the context is. As a verb or a noun the meaning of the word protest remains the same.