Spoilers for 1st December 2009

[James Robinson]

ACETATE - Round 6
COWPIES - Round 12

[Josh Hurst]

I know this is not necessarily a spoiler, although what is contained within the link contains some spoilerific information, but I found it quite amusing and thought that this was the most appropriate place to share it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Coote

[Kirk Bevins]

COWPIES - Round 12

COWPIES not valid, sorry.

[Marc Meakin]

COWPIES - Round 12

COWPIES not valid, sorry.

Only in The Dandy.

[James Robinson]

COWPIES - Round 12

COWPIES not valid, sorry.

Only in The Dandy.

How odd. Unless I'm not mistaken, COWPEAS are allowed, but COWPIES aren't! This dictionary needs checking and refining sharpish.

[Phil Reynolds]

How odd. Unless I'm not mistaken, COWPEAS are allowed, but COWPIES aren't! This dictionary needs checking and refining sharpish.

You'll find the ODE2r is full of stuff like that. e.g. SEPARATE is valid, but SEPERATE isn't for some reason. What a rubbish dictionary.

[Charlie Reams]

Unless I'm not mistaken, COWPEAS are allowed, but COWPIES aren't!

Maybe you're being humorous, but "unless I'm not mistaken" is (still) the opposite of what you probably meant.

[Dinos Sfyris]

ffs how childish is this thread? Nobody died from someone posting a solver-aided beater. FWIW while I mostly find beater-posting to be an exercise in stroking one's ego, it's nice to be informed if a bizarre looking selection yields a juicy unexpected max eg HOUBARAS yesterday. Normally if playing along I'd find a 5 or a 6 from those letters and give up. But if someone tells me there's an interesting 8 or 9 in the selection it makes you that more determined to try and find it. Like when DC say "We have a 9" and you try and spot it in the few seconds before the reveal.

[Marc Meakin]

ffs how childish is this thread? Nobody died from someone posting a solver-aided beater. FWIW while I mostly find beater-posting to be an exercise in stroking one's ego, it's nice to be informed if a bizarre looking selection yields a juicy unexpected max eg HOUBARAS yesterday. Normally if playing along I'd find a 5 or a 6 from those letters and give up. But if someone tells me there's an interesting 8 or 9 in the selection it makes you that more determined to try and find it. Like when DC say "We have a 9" and you try and spot it in the few seconds before the reveal.

I agree, but I guess I was wrong to post the solution, albeit in small print.

[Kirk Bevins]

I agree, but I guess I was wrong to post the solution, albeit in small print.

This. I've done it once or twice when I've said "I've used a solver and there were actually two nines...I won't say what they are unless someone else actually spotted them" (or at best make sure I say I've used a solver but leave it till after a few minutes for people who got it in the time to post it). Think it was the game with SMORZANDO in.

[Ian Fitzpatrick]

Did anyone else here have to watch today's show with the edges of the picture missing, or was it just a regional thing? Damn difficult to do the conundrum as quickly as the contestant, and it made Rachel look a bit wide (until I forced my TV into 4/3 mode). Hope it's better for tomorrow!

Picture size was ok but the background kept flashing. I'm surprised no one else has mentioned it, I wonder if my equipment is starting to fail - although it hasn't been apparent on anything else, maybe Damian needs to make sure the meter is fully stocked with 50ps.