A Conversation for The H2IQ Quiz - Be The First Among Equals
Hidden Artists
Icy North Posted Mar 4, 2004
You're all spot on so far.
A clue for the remaining two:
5. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself (7)
14. Goodbye Is Just Another Word (6)
One's from the Sixties, and one's from the Noughties.
Icy 
Hidden Artists
Icy North Posted Mar 4, 2004
What, not got them yet?
Eight number one singles between them, the first in 1960, the last in 2004...
Hidden Artists
Icy North Posted Mar 4, 2004
Nice finish, Trin,
I suppose we wait for Master B to set another, do we?
Better "swot up" first
Hidden Artists
Trin Tragula Posted Mar 4, 2004
Yep - Master B to go (swotting up may well be in order)
Hard Pairings?
Mu Beta Posted Mar 4, 2004
I'll try not to set a Chemistry one this time...
Fill in the question marks in the following pairs, and tell me the pair that is (necessarily) missing:
M - T
S - P
? - C
S - H
T - D
H - ?
H - Q
S - A
B
Hard Pairings?
Icy North Posted Mar 8, 2004
Is everyone as confused as I am?
Master B, is relevant?
Icy
Hard Pairings?
O.L.S Whale [1-8+7+(3x7x2)=42] Quite disturbing in appearance, but harmless enough, I assure you! Posted Mar 8, 2004
Is this DNA related?
(not Douglas Noel Adams, but the Double Helix)
Do the letters represent Nucleotides?
Hard Pairings?
Mu Beta Posted Mar 8, 2004
The is a h2g2-old-school post divider. Similar to a rule-off, that's all. 
This is not DNA-related (either DNA) nor Chemistry related. In fact it has precious little to do with Science at all.
Initials are your clue.
B
Hard Pairings?
Icy North Posted Mar 9, 2004
Well I'm getting nowhere with this, so I'll dump my thoughts and see if it helps anyone (you never know).
M - T
S - P
? - C
S - H
T - D
H - ?
H - Q
S - A
1. There are eight pairs, with one reportedly missing. Are we looking for something which is restricted to eight or nine possible values? Each column would be an attribute of the item. Alternatively is there a restricted set of 16 or 18 items which can be paired off?
2. The first column has only four distinct values: M, S, T and H. Is there a restriction on allowable items within this first column? The second column has 7 different values out of 7 listed. Are items in this column necessarily distinct from one another?
3. Initials. These look like they are the initial letters of words. That may sound fairly obvious, but could it be a code of a different sort?
4. The second column has a Q for one item. This is comparatively rare for an initial - what could it stand for? (Queen, Quarter, Quatermass, etc?)
5. The puzzle is titled "Hard Pairings". Is this relevant?
6. Are they the initials of famous people? e.g. M-T = Margaret Thatcher, etc. H-Q would be tricky.
Icy
Hard Pairings?
Mu Beta Posted Mar 9, 2004
1) Think of it as two discreet columns. The only connection between a letter in one column and in the next.
2) No
3) No
4) Not telling you. 
5) Yup
6) No
And another clue - although this isn't a science question, keeping my chosen career in mind would be handy.
B
Hard Pairings?
The Researcher formally known as Dr St Justin Posted Mar 9, 2004
My only thoughts were about the Moh's hardness scale, but it doesn't seem to fit... 
Hard Pairings?
Mu Beta Posted Mar 9, 2004
Nope. Nothing to do with science. Nothing to do with hardness. Nothing to do with the chap who runs the bar in The Simpsons. Keep trying.
B
Hard Pairings?
Icy North Posted Mar 11, 2004
Nothing's happening with this one.
All we have is it concerns Master B's career (teaching, I understand), and that the title "Hard Pairings" is in some way significant.
What things are connected with teaching? Subjects, schools, universities, examination boards, OFSTED inspections, league tables?
Icy 
Hard Pairings?
Icy North Posted Mar 15, 2004
(tumbleweed blows across in the middle distance)
Teachers isn't my specialised subject unfortunately. I suppose this could be something to do with the Teachers sitcom on C4, which I never saw. Or Teachers whiskey, which I don't drink.
Nothing to do with the quiz, but do teachers still wear those tweed jackets with leather elbow-patches? Just curious. 
Icy
Hard Pairings?
Mu Beta Posted Mar 15, 2004
I saw one in the Charity Shop the other week which did rather take my fancy, yes.
...this really is a magical question, isn't it?
B
Key: Complain about this post
Hidden Artists
- 5541: Icy North (Mar 4, 2004)
- 5542: Icy North (Mar 4, 2004)
- 5543: Trin Tragula (Mar 4, 2004)
- 5544: Trin Tragula (Mar 4, 2004)
- 5545: Icy North (Mar 4, 2004)
- 5546: Trin Tragula (Mar 4, 2004)
- 5547: Mu Beta (Mar 4, 2004)
- 5548: Icy North (Mar 8, 2004)
- 5549: O.L.S Whale [1-8+7+(3x7x2)=42] Quite disturbing in appearance, but harmless enough, I assure you! (Mar 8, 2004)
- 5550: Cupid Stunt (Mar 8, 2004)
- 5551: Cupid Stunt (Mar 8, 2004)
- 5552: Mu Beta (Mar 8, 2004)
- 5553: Icy North (Mar 9, 2004)
- 5554: Mu Beta (Mar 9, 2004)
- 5555: The Researcher formally known as Dr St Justin (Mar 9, 2004)
- 5556: Mu Beta (Mar 9, 2004)
- 5557: Icy North (Mar 11, 2004)
- 5558: Mu Beta (Mar 11, 2004)
- 5559: Icy North (Mar 15, 2004)
- 5560: Mu Beta (Mar 15, 2004)
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