You’re gonna hear me “Rawr”

     Today I did something that’s been bugging me for a while – got a printer set up at home so that I could print crossword puzzles and solve them for speed, in hopes of winning the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament someday. I expected to be charged 15, 20 bucks. It was 85. But there was nothing else I could have done. And what better to motivate me to practice? I know I need a subscription to the New York Times puzzle to be competitive, but now I’m kind of like “blah.” It doesn’t help that they charged me for two years without telling me.
     So will Christina McTighe win for the second time today?

Diana Zinser
Christina

Sam Osborne

     Oh, no. Good thing I’m blogging today. Nice Beard!? It’s also good that I’m blogging because the Daily Double of the round was a video, in this category. Sam found it.
Christina 0
Sam 1000 (3 right)
Diane 200 (One right)
     Sam wagered everything on this clue: “This playwright would’ve needed a major barbering to get rid of that beard.”

     Sam was right!
     At the first break:
Christina 0 (3 right and 3 wrong)
Sam 3200 (2 right and one wrong)
Diana 3200 (5 right)
     At the end of the round:
Christina 4800 (7 right)
Sam 4200 (4 right and one wrong)
Diana 4400 (2 right and one wrong)
     Sam found the next Daily Double in “W”orld Cities.
Christina 6400 (2 right)
Sam 8600 (6 right and one wrong)
Diana 5600 (3 right and one wrong)
     I thought it was kinda funny when Trebek went “At the moment…” and Sam went “2000!” He wasn’t wasting any time! This was the clue: “This Irish city on the Suir River is an export center for fruit, meat &, of course, fine crystal.” I knew this, but Sam didn’t.
     What do you know, Sam found the last Daily Double too, in Revolutionary War Figures.
Christina 6400
Sam 9400 (2 right)
Diana 7200 (2 right)
     I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say “What is” before wagering. Sam had said it before selecting a while back, too! I like how Trebek never mocks anyone that does that. Here is the clue, worth 2200: “In March 1775 he told the second Va. convention, ‘We have done everything that could be done to avert the storm.'” Sam was right, and Mr. Trebek said there was less than a minute to go with 5 clues left. Oh no, a video category! So at the end of the round:
Christina 7600 (One right)
Sam 13200 (One right)
Diana 7200
     It’s anybody’s game, to borrow a cliche! The Final Jeopardy category was Poets. Hey, we had a poet contestant earlier this week! This was the clue: “On completing the ‘deathbed’ edition of his great work, he wrote, ‘L.of G. at last complete — after 33 y’rs of hackling at it.'” Instaget. Diana was right and doubled her score. Maybe she likes poetry? Christina too was right, and she doubled her score. Sam was wrong!! So we’ll see Christina again tomorrow.
   
One year ago: When bad things happen to good people
Two years ago: Two recaps in one!
Three years ago: Oscar makes a grouch out of me tonight
Four years ago: It’s always something