Spoilers and comment for Friday 20/02/2009

[Martin Gardner]

I like Rachel's dress. Having said that, I thought the black cocktail dress with the tan boots a few days ago was a bit odd.

[Martin Gardner]

Aha it's another FUNNEST style one. Does it specify the double M?

[Martin Gardner]

Another 792 would be:

8 * 3 * 4 = 96
96 + 3 = 99
99 * 8 = 792

[Rory MacDonald]

outroar for the round where orator was the best they could do

[Martin Gardner]

outroar for the round where orator was the best they could do

I think you've confused outrage and uproar; outroar isn't there.

[Mike Brailsford]

COAXER for 6 too ?

[Mike Brailsford]

Is BODYMASS 1 or 2 words ?

[John Brackstone]

samoyeds for 8

[Kai Laddiman]

Rd 14 numbers (25-1)x(6+4)x3+2

[Kai Laddiman]

samoyeds for 8

Soz but it's capitalised. SOMEDAY as equaller.

[Kai Laddiman]

COAXER for 6 too ?

Yeh I got that too.

[Jimmy Gough]

ROTAMERS is an equaller

[Kirk Bevins]

ROTAMERS is an equaller

...and REARMOST. I had a 13 max game today, was quite pleased (missed TAGMEMES which I missed yesterday in practice too and 722). Neil looks very hard to dethrone and I make the max of today's game to be 115, which is very low. This isn't helped by 6 small numbers and in the most part 3 vowel or 5 vowel selections by Neil.

Neil, what is your thinking behind the 5 vowel strategy?

[Jojo Apollo]

They used to have TEAROOMS as a single word didn't they?

What are the rules that govern whether a word stays a single word or broken into two words/hyphened and vice-versa?

[Ben Hunter]

Neil, what is your thinking behind the 5 vowel strategy?

You could argue that I should've been trying to maximise my score, but I wasn't really thinking like that. Part of me was convinced that everyone I played against would be a genius, and so as soon as I got a small lead I played it ultra safe (such as picking 5 vowels to ensure that, even if they beat me, they'd only get 5 or 6 points). It never dawned on me that I'm not *that* bad, so maybe I could extend my lead. Pessimism rules.
Also, I quite wanted to see a round where there was nothing greater than a 3 or something low like that, so if the first 4 consonants were rubbish I generally picked lots of vowels...

[Neil Zussman]

Cheers, Ben was just about to give Kirk a nudge in the direction of that post myself Although maybe rather than pessimism, I should've written paranoia rules.

I'm relieved I avoided a crucial conundrum today, I must say...

[Hannah O]

That conundrum was interesting! Was it just me or were the Teatime Teasers more difficult than usual today? I could have just been on bad form...

[Martin Gardner]

That conundrum was interesting! Was it just me or were the Teatime Teasers more difficult than usual today? I could have just been on bad form...

The BAGPIPER one, you just have to switch the two vowels. PS APPETISE in the NAPPIEST round.

[Kathleen Batlle]

Great game again today Neil, congratulations.

[Kirk Bevins]

I noticed today that Jeff asked Neil to declare first on a round which he picked. Usually Jeff asks player 2 to declare on player 1s pick and vice versa. It's annoying sometimes if he's not consistent as if you wanted to risk a word or not, it's nice to know who is going to be asked first.

[Richard Priest]

APPETISE in the NAPPIEST round.

I thought that too Martin but it's not in which I was a bit surprised about considering APPETISER is.

[Julie T]

Another great game, Neil!
OT I got GAMETES in round 4, REARMOST in 7, and COAXER in 11.

[John Brackstone]

Kai rightly said that samoyeds is capitalised ( a member of a people of northern siberia). but in my dictionary there is also an entry spelt without a capital s (a dog of a white arctic breed)

[Charlie Reams]

Kai rightly said that samoyeds is capitalised ( a member of a people of northern siberia). but in my dictionary there is also an entry spelt without a capital s (a dog of a white arctic breed)

Which dictionary is that?

[John Brackstone]

The dictionary I use is the concise oxford dictionary ninth edition. The entry for Samoyed is:
Samoyed n.1 a member of a people of northern Siberia. 2 the language of this people.
3 (also samoyed) a a dog of a white Arctic breed. b this breed [Russian samoed]