MM Links Results May 2012 Week 3

[gen2]

BigMac's 3rd challenge has now closed.

I can reveal that his chosen links were:

DIAMOND JUBILEE
VICTORIA BECKHAM
BARGE POLE
RADIO TIMES

A few obvious ones there but that one awkward pairing had most of you stumped.
With several possible pairing available, I thought the scoring would would be lower than it actually was. Thankfully, many of you were on BigMac's wavelength.

[gen2]

As per usual, the early rush of players picked off most of the links and claimed the bonus points.

Roslyn251254 was first with BARGE POLE but rockfordill, Strix, Aquagility and Christiana were right on her heels for 2 points each.

Second player, evsajo obviously had her copy of the RADIO TIMES in front of her, as did deecee131 and grannydi, all for 2 points.

Deecee131 (player #4) was first to suggest the obvious DIAMOND JUBILEE and together with rockfordill, grannydi, ulysses100, Manxiemo, Brenden and owllady, all collected their 2 points.

Deecee131, rockfordill and grannydi were therefore all double-hitters scoring a total of 4 points.
Jobjockey, hawk3y3, patchett & RegWard were also double-hitters but too late to qualify for bonus points.

That leaves us with the final link of VICTORIA BECKHAM whick lasted until mid afternoon when along came Mrs Ont-Ice to claim her well deserved 2 points for a unique match.

For that reason I have chosen
**** THE HOTSHOT ****
*** FOR THIS WEEK ***
*** IS Mrs ONT_ICE ***

In summary, this weeks point scorers were:
4 deecee131
4 grannydi
4 rockfordill
2 Aquagility
2 Christiana
2 evsajo
2 hawk3y3
2 jobjockey
2 Manxiemo
2 Ont-ice (Mrs)
2 owllady
2 patchett
2 regward
2 roslyn251254
2 Strix
2 ulysses100
1 Baza
1 boxtops
1 cliffyg
1 cupid04
1 Eiggam
1 Handbaglady
1 joto
1 ladyalex
1 lysander
1 Ont-ice (Mr)
1 paulineward
1 seekeerz
1 sibton
1 twix123
1 x-ray

So how does that leave the LeaderBoard with just one more week to go?

[gen2]

The top of the table is awash with seasoned players but just holding a 2-point lead is grannydi.
8 grannydi
6 deecee131
6 rockfordill
4 Aquagility
4 Handbaglady
4 patchett
4 roslyn251254
3 albaqwerty (Mr)
3 ladyalex
3 Manxiemo
3 Ont-ice (Mrs)
3 twix123
3 ulysses100
3 x-ray
13 on 2 points
13 on 1 point.

Final week of play for May is next weekend so don't miss out.
Be there next Saturday
Same time,
Same place.
Happy Linking
gen2

[evsajo]

Hooray !! I scored 2 points ! Thanks BigMac and Gen.

[Strix]

I'm grateful for my 2 points but, a question, I thought people's names (common/WAG as against Royal titles - Queen/Regina/Imperatrix Victoria OK Victoria Principal/Beckham No) were off-limits for setters?

[roslyn251254]

I thought the same strix that beckham would not be allowed. Heigh ho! There's always next week!

[Christiana]

Ditto. I thought the link word had to be able to stand or fall on its own. Still the Beckhams have become history, I suppose.
Perhaps we need a ruling on this, as I, and I'm sure others, studiously avoid people's surnames and anything that isn't a word in its own right.

[gen2]

A whopping great 53 points doled out this weekend . . . and still they complain!

Seriously though, this game had its origins in Michael Mepham's GK crosswords in the DT. I therefore ask myself 'Could the link word reasonably be expected to be clued in that crossword?' In this case, 'Beckham' could be the answer from question referencing 'David Beckham' so I allowed it to pass.

Now I am not a regular solver of GK crosswords so I may be wrong, but through my involvement with this game (and the KM version), I am sure I have seen clues/answers with the names of well-known footballers, filmstars, popstars, authors, scientists, inventors etc.

I am willing to be stricter in future if that is the wish of players.
Would someone like to suggest a degree of fame beneath which we may not stray?

[gen2]

Maybe I am confusing myself here. People's names do occur frequently as answers within the crossword but what you questioning is their use as the result of pairing answers.

In the DT, It says "Each shaded word forms half of a well-known word or phrase". That would seem to exclude people's names. Our game is based on that so should also exclude names on the same basis.

Our own introduction only says "Each of the selected link words may go in front of, or behind my challenge word." without saying what it should form. I shall amend that in future to say the same as the DT.

In future, names will only be the answer to a pairing if the whole name is a common phrase rather than just a person's name. Some examples are:
Gordon Bennett, Rosie Lee (and many Cockney rhyming slang names).
Or do you want to exclude those too?

[paulineward]

Am I famous enough gen2? :-)))

I would suggest it be left at Kings and Queens perhaps?

[ladyalex]

Goodoh, a point for me.
Thanks to BigMac and gen2

[tearinghair]

I don't mind either way, gen2, though I agree with Strix & Co that I wouldn't have expected to have people's names. As there is some uncertainty we should have a rule for the future.

[Aquagility]

Well known? Who on earth is Victoria Beckham? A variety of plumb, maybe.