Withington Pub Quiz League - Quizbiz 09/11/22

KFD keep their top slot with Albert and the Prodigals in hot pursuit; another high-scoring paper

KFD beat Opsimaths

Prodigals beat Ethel Rodin

Bards lost to Electric Pigs

Albert beat Charabancs

KFD beat Opsimaths

KFD keep their top spot with a one-point victory against the Opsis

Kieran's pretty happy with the season so far...

Ah that's more like it from the most storied game WithQuiz can offer, a high scoring thriller with both teams playing at their peaks and the result in doubt right up until the final answer of the evening. Except no, it wasn't like that at all. We had established a ten-point lead at the end of Round 6 and still led by seven after a bout of Popery (we were 50% Catholic this week with the first appearance of our 'classic four' this season). And then the Bingo round where, true to form, we picked all the questions we didn't have a clue about and left the easy points for the post-quiz spares. Fortunately our man in the sci-fi section landed on Azimov's laws of robotics for his bingo pick and, with the two duly claimed, that was pretty much it despite the Opsimaths hoovering up all the remaining points in the final round.

Barry's finest moment of the evening had come two rounds earlier as "Iceland" screamed into the top corner for a nailed on 'two of the season' contender. I'd never had Barry figured as a gym bunny but he surprises all of us week after week well into his fourth decade of quizzing.

Martin slotted Harry Patch and knew the two ridiculous piano concerto answers. Trademark KFD conferring produced Daisy Edgar-Jones and dredged up Meg Ryan. I screwed my courage to the sticking place of Dublin and the multiple papacies of Pius (the 'hard boys' Catholic comprehensive nearest to my namby-pamby grammar school was Pius X, Catholic but not too Christian as far as turning the other cheek went). The History Men have a niche obsession with royalty, titles and other absurd flummery but David was too good for them, or too taken by Jamie Lee Curtis, to be at all troubled by her alter ego.

This week's 'Spot the Prat' competition

(R8/Q10)

Unnervingly, David kept telling me how impressed he was with "my Brown Willy"; I guess that's what happens after hundreds of Wednesday evenings spent in close huddles straining for that little extra which will deliver ultimate joy and perfect satisfaction at the end.

The match was helmed superbly, as ever, by the nonpareil Bob, Lenin cap perched just so. And the evening kicked off with an innovation, a virtual coin toss on my phone, well who carries cash these days?

Bards next week. Hmm never a gimme but we're pretty happy with the way the season has gone so far and go into that game full of optimism. That's when things usually fall apart!

Baby's in Black

(R1/Q2)

Howell adds his twopenny's- worth...

Though the final score was close, this did not feel like a close contest! We failed to add 'black' or 'brown' to get the 'National Velvet' question in Round 1 and consequently went 3 points down. This was our deficit through to half time. Then it got worse as we ended Round 6 ten points behind. A gap too far, despite KFD being very poor at picking numbers in the final Bingo round!!

Last Tommy

(R2/Q3)

Bards lost to Electric Pigs

The Pigs maintain their impressive advance on last season's performance

Accounting for Forfar, far from Winchester

(R8/Q4)

Albert beat Charabancs

Albert score a notable victory to stay in second spot

MOBO enters a plea for a Megson resurrection

A game of almost 2 halves. 16 all after 3 rounds and then the Charas seemed to run into the proverbial brick wall. I think we won because Ashton was in such good form scoring 6 twos.

By the way, Big Olga (Jacki's Gentleman's Club entrance round the back), is right miffed with that Lizzo blowing on James Madison's flute. She thinks that's why he has been so rubbish for her beloved Leicester City this season.

(ED: No, nor me!)

Besotted with Roddy

(R7/Q5)

Prodigals beat Ethel Rodin

The Prods work their way back to the top with a comfortable win

Just a Normal girl

(R4/Q2)

Quiz paper set by...

...The History Men

Average Aggregate score 81.0

Another mighty aggregate - this time from the History Men. But otherwise no comments from me again as I was away at the Etihad for the second week running. Some kind man from FIFA has arranged a 'diversion in the desert' for the rest of the year which will enable me to actually enjoy answering questions on a Wednesday evening rather than merely wallowing in the vicarious pleasure of editing your observations the day after.

...so this was Kieran's take on the paper...

Two unanswereds for each team and an aggregate of 85 speaks to an excellent History Men paper which far exceeded their target score, but never felt like a too easy pointsfest.

...and although he liked what he saw Mike O'B does think there's a Standards and Ethics case for Ivor to answer...

The rounds were interesting in that they gave a fresh twist to traditional themes such as flower first names - albeit at the cost of some disgusting debauchery (send for Megson!).

Whilst we enjoyed the paper very much we do feel the History Men should be hauled in front of a Disciplinary Committee for providing the most obscene paper in the history of the League. 14 year-old girls on up and down rides! Even the round on our beloved Popes degenerated into a discussion of the 'testiculos habet' chair.

...finally Howell adds his approbation...

This was a very fair quiz. We scored points on 31 questions compared to KFD's 29 (though they got 3 more twos). The 4 unanswered questions split evenly. On the night, every player (on each of the teams) scored at least 2 two-pointers! It also felt as if there was plenty of fun in the questions ... even if we grumbled about one or 2 of the pairs (e.g. the 'pick a number' for the piano concertos in particular ... though KFD picked them both correctly!). So well done History Men for a well crafted paper.

A simple Scottish crofter

(R1/Q7)

Question of the Week

This week Round 6 Question 8 wins the vote with the following memorable quote...

Which Prime Minister said: “That I was born in Dublin no more makes me Irish than had I been born in a stable would have made me a horse”?

For the answer to this and all the week's other questions click here.

...and also

Last Friday a sizeable representation from WithQuiz gathered at Southern Cemetery in the late autumn sunshine and, with his family and friends, said a sincere and sad goodbye to our colleague and founder, Barry Whitehead. Lots of fond memories and happy reminiscences about Barry's love of his family, his music, his language and of course his Quiz League.

It was announced as part of the eulogy that the local Quiz League will rename its annual League trophy in his memory. It has been said, so it will be so.

Thanks, Barry.