word up gossip

[Istenem]

very well then, toffeeearing. how about the 17th? or one of your half term days? as for schoolteachers grumbling about not getting any time off; that's priceless.

[angie]

Sorry to disrupt this UP vs VB tiff to report some scores, but here they are -

In fact very meagre pickings today, with the only website entries being a QUINCUNX-inspired 1873 (my first ever QUINCUNX), QUIZZICAL (both in The Ark) and QUIZZERS in Yates, all as ANGIE LIAM.

On the plus side, the machines were paying out a bit more generously than of late.

[Guest]

how about one of your half term days?

How on earth did you gather that my comment on the approaching half term was in any way suggesting that we set a date over that period?

as for schoolteachers grumbling about not getting any time off]

I was just stating that I'm knackered at the end of each day.

In any case, considering that journalists have nothing more arduous to do than making sure your glorified forum posts have the required number of cliches, factual errors and worthless opinionating to be sent to print, you have the whole year off.

[Guest]

Lots of 1900+'s by a 'MH' (Wetherspoons / Prescot Street / Aldgate) spotted today, anyone here?

Checked this out this evening...MH was over-hyped to say the least: there was nothing more than a few 1600s by 'MK,' topped by some loser called Fotherz with something only slightly less feeble.

A short time later the scoreboard was all mine, with:

2023
2010
1998
1949
1932
1902
1814

MULTIMILLIONS
TRANQUILLISED
QUIZZERS (yuk)

and the nice AZIMUTHS

[Matt Vinyl]

ops: ops: ops:

I'd had a few! Although I'm pretty sure I saw quite a few 1900+s on there. Must be my mistake... Top scores there though!

[Guest]

Tho' I could only find one machine (between the main doors and the bar), so maybe they are on another one - are there two itboxes there, Matt?

[Matt Vinyl]

That was indeed the machine I played. I must've just been mistaken.

Glad you cleared up the scoreboard though - I'll probably be there again next week, so will take a look!

[Guest]

That was indeed the machine I played.

That's good news, then - cheers, Matt

[ZAX]

Just to let you know Bob that you spoiled approximately 30 seconds of my night out on fri. I was in Yates's when I spied the itbox and seeing as the place appeared full of absolutely the worst that Britain has to offer I thought there must be a few quid and a few drinks to be paid out of the solitary itbox downstairs.And then I saw the high score list

[angie]

Scored 1824 solo in the Ark yesterday which included TRANQUILLISES (468/13) - not sure how the total was so low with such a big word involved but there you go.

[Guest]

I was in Yates's when I spied the itbox and seeing as the place appeared full of absolutely the worst that Britain has to offer I thought there must be a few quid and a few drinks to be paid out of the solitary itbox downstairs.

Glad to know I could be of service.

What Yates's was this in, ZAX?

You're right about the clientele - the itboxes in Yates invariably have the worst scores and the most money to give out.

[Guest]

Solo efforts this afternoon: The George, South Woodford: 2009, 2002, 1967, 1874, 1849, 1826 TRANQUILLIZING, EMBEZZLING, TRANQUILLY, DRIZZLIEST

The board was previously infested with lots of stabbed clearances (1400-1600 pts) by 'YETI.'

[Ernest W. Quality]

I thought the George was in Woodford Green, and you already owned it with 2025?

Since the current fashion seems to be everybody posting all their scores here, instead of pm/emailing me, and only announcing grade-A material, I will join in.

2009, 1927, 1923, 1907. 1670+ non-clear ruined by 'Shuffle' leaving AOT distinctly unshuffled. Some boring usual suspect words, and also MULTIPLEXES, MEZZANINES, FRUSTRATIONS.

[ZAX]

I was in Yates's when I spied the itbox and seeing as the place appeared full of absolutely the worst that Britain has to offer I thought there must be a few quid and a few drinks to be paid out of the solitary itbox downstairs.

Glad to know I could be of service.

What Yates's was this in, ZAX?

You're right about the clientele - the itboxes in Yates invariably have the worst scores and the most money to give out.

Nottingham bob. Its my own fault. I encouraged you to come here. What did I expect?! Youre also all over the Pit and Pendulum and many many others I fear. Guess Ill have to stick to the sticks

[Ernest W. Quality]

So, after the initial merriment of being liberated from the oppression of the anonymous WORDUP, it has now sunk in that one dictatorship has been replaced with another.

However, given we were only in Nottingham for a day some of the scores on some machines might not be too astronomical.

In other news, since the board at Pickerel (Wembley of WU) was reset a month or so ago, I decided to dedicate a few quid and half-an-hour to rebuilding the words-board, i.e. I just went for big words, no quidgrabbing/clearance motif. Although the new stadium is not quite ready to be opened, it is a little closer to getting some action after:

MULTIMILLIONAIRE (16), INTERNATIONALLY (15), VISUALISATIONS (14), MULTIMILLIONS (13), some other Q-related bollocks.

Furthermore, the following news-story was spotted in a local paper:
CAMBRIDGE SUNDAY EVENING BOTTLER - STOP PRESS
Resident quizzing deity "Ernest W. Quality" was officially pronounced a grade-A duncewit tonight, after committing perhaps the most incompetent piece of buffoonery in the history of Word Up. The calamitous clanger came just one grid after the sprawling construction MULTIMILLIONAIRE (16 letters) was infuriatingly unrewarded with a providential final S to join the 17 club. Undaunted, EWQ vowed to show that legends make their own luck, and promptly set up ACQUAINTANCESHIP (16). With 41 seconds left, and refusing to be denied a second time, EWQ embarked on a swashbuckling quest to bring a final 'S' all the way from the far lower left wall, lowering all the required tiles in the process. It seemed surely that the word would be ruined, or the time would run out, but somehow the unruly sibilant was dragged over all manner of Vs and Ks almost to its rightful throne. Barely 11/86400 of a day remained on the timer, and only one further move was required to bring the constellations into harmony. EWQ calmly and confidently took a three-letter word, bringing the 'S' to the 'P'. Already beginning to hear the celebrations and fanfare, he swiftly but precisely typed in the word and nonchalantly tapped the final glyph a second time, with 2 seconds to go. Nothing happened. An instantaneous transition from infinite smugness to total shittypantitude occured as EW just had time to see that he had in fact typed in a fictional word ACQUAINTANCSHIPS before the timer ran-out, and the letters, including the gloatingly unhighlighted 'E', melted into ineffability.