Only Connect contestants left stumped by a bizarre set of password clues
A bizarre Only Connect question left contestants staring at four statements that seemed to have almost nothing in common, while viewers at home were left wondering how anyone was supposed to spot the connection.
The BBC Two quiz, hosted by Victoria Coren Mitchell, is built around exactly this kind of lateral-thinking challenge. Contestants are presented with apparently unrelated clues and must work out the hidden link between them, often with only a few seconds to think.
For the team of Liz Jaggs, Steph and Helen Jewell, one particularly strange set proved difficult.
@undeniablyalex Hello again! Here’s one I wrote recently, showing why I’m a better question writer than I am tech support. Enjoy! #quiz #trivia #gameshow #onlyconnect #victoriacorenmitchell #puzzle #quizshow ♬ original sound – UndeniablyAlex
Four comparisons, one connection
The contestants were shown four statements:
- Champagne is stronger than whisky
- Ke$ha is better than Adele
- MySpace is more secure than Google
- Se7en is less vulnerable than Troy
At first glance, the four comparisons appear to have little relationship to one another. They involve drinks, singers, websites and films, making the connection even harder to spot.
The team discussed the clues and considered possible answers, but could not identify the link before the opportunity to score the point disappeared.
The answer was safer passwords.
The trick hidden in the clues
The apparent comparisons were deliberately constructed as examples of statements that could be used as password-related phrases.
That was the sideways connection the contestants had to uncover. Rather than comparing the subjects in a meaningful ranking, the clues were designed to point towards the idea of stronger, more secure passwords.
The first clue, for example, uses champagne and whisky to create a comparison involving strength. The others follow the same deliberately misleading approach, pairing familiar names and titles with words such as better, secure and vulnerable.
Together, the four statements form a set under the theme of safer passwords, turning what initially looks like four nonsensical comparisons into a single category.
Another classic Only Connect trap
Questions like this are a big part of what makes Only Connect so challenging. The clues are often constructed to encourage contestants to concentrate on the obvious meaning of each individual item, when the real answer lies somewhere much less direct.
That can make the experience particularly frustrating for viewers who think they have spotted the connection before the contestants do.
And that was the appeal of this particular puzzle. Champagne, Ke$ha, MySpace and Se7en seem to belong to completely different worlds. Once the answer is revealed, however, the reason for putting them together becomes much easier to see.
It is precisely the kind of lateral-thinking puzzle for which Only Connect has become known: four apparently random clues, one unexpected connection, and a room full of contestants trying to find it before time runs out.
