Spoilers for Easter Monday 5th April 2021 (Series 83, Preliminary 66)

[Mark Kudlowski]

3rd numbers alt:

(50 + 3) x (6 + 5)

[Tom S]

Solid stuff from C2. Could octo if she keeps the form up.

[Stewart Gordon]

Very surprised today to discover that UNFRIENDS is a word in the dictionary. I wonder whether the contestants had

• actually looked it up and discovered it to be in the dictionary before going on the show
• thought it would probably be in
• didn't think it likely to be in, but thought it was worth chancing

Previously, Susie has told us UNLIKE as a verb hasn't made it to the dictionary yet when rejecting UNLIKED. I'd still like to know why she decided that, if UNLIKED were a word, it would necessarily be UNLIKE-D rather than UN-LIKED. But I have just discovered that it's been added to Lexico, though the way it's listed is puzzling. The first definition is effectively giving UNLIKE as a synonym of DISLIKE except that it's been expressed in the passive voice. Contrast with UNLOVED - here, the focus is on the lack of people loving you, rather than a glut of people doing the opposite.

[Gavin Chipper]

Solid stuff from C2. Could octo if she keeps the form up.

I agree.

Also DICENTRA was a DC beater in round 11 or something.

[David Williams]

I'd have been amazed if UNFRIEND wasn't in. Turns out it was one of Oxford's words of the year as far back as 2009.

Can I have BEWARED?

[Gavin Chipper]

No bewared.

[David Williams]

Why not? It's a verb.

[Thomas Cappleman]

The Lexico entry says it's only in imperative or infinitive (i.e. an instruction, or "to beware" of something). So no present/past tense etc. and so no verb forms

[David Williams]

You can certainly have past infinitives. To have eaten. Past imperatives may be a bit more dodgy. Even so. I didn't see the signs. Keep your dog on a lead. I should have kept my dog on a lead. Beware of the dog. I should have . . . what?

[Stewart Gordon]

The Lexico entry says it's only in imperative or infinitive (i.e. an instruction, or "to beware" of something). So no present/past tense etc. and so no verb forms

As I look:
"[no object, in imperative or infinitive]"
No "only" there....

[Thomas Cappleman]

The Lexico entry says it's only in imperative or infinitive (i.e. an instruction, or "to beware" of something). So no present/past tense etc. and so no verb forms

As I look:
"[no object, in imperative or infinitive]"
No "only" there....

I think the only is implied, otherwise why bother specifying those 2 forms? Any normal verb has them, it's only notable if those are the only forms. Collins does at least specify the only in its entry at least.

Potentially good point by David about past infinitive, though all the example sentences use the infinitive in an imperative sense (e.g. Police are warning people to beware). English infinitives being split over multiple words makes things complicated.

I can see it potentially being allowed on a given day, depending on interpretation, but most likely not.

[Gavin Chipper]

I'd have been amazed if UNFRIEND wasn't in. Turns out it was one of Oxford's words of the year as far back as 2009.

Can I have BEWARED?

Generally speaking, you know to go to Lexico don't you? I know the free version isn't identical to the one they use, but it gives you most of the information.

[David Williams]

I'd have been amazed if UNFRIEND wasn't in. Turns out it was one of Oxford's words of the year as far back as 2009.

Can I have BEWARED?

Generally speaking, you know to go to Lexico don't you? I know the free version isn't identical to the one they use, but it gives you most of the information.

Of course, and I know it's not quite the same. We had bolshies specifically declared invalid by Susie the other week, yet there it is.

[Toby McDonald]

R9 Alt.: (75*8)-(50+6-5)/3 = 583
R14 Alt.: ((50+5+3)*7)+25-10 = 421

[Philip Wilson]

R9 Alt.: (75*8)-(50+6-5)/3 = 583

And even: ((75*8)-50)+((6+5)*3) = 583!