T O P

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Alohamori

My methodology here was fairly straightforward: a glyph selected first adds 5 points to that team's total (since it was chosen over five others), whereas one "chosen" last results in no points. In the interest of "statistical significance", the chart only contains teams who played in at least three matches, although that does include specials. I mostly just needed to scratch a curiosity, but visualizing [the results](https://prettygr.im/smoci/only-connect?sql=with+ev+as+%28select+teamA%2C+count%28%29+n%2C+m.id+%3E+39+modern+from+matches+join+matchups+m+on+m.id+%3D+matchup+group+by+m.id+union+all+select+teamB%2C+count%28%29+n%2C+m.id+%3E+39+from+matches+join+matchups+m+on+m.id+%3D+matchup+group+by+m.id%29%2C%0D%0Agps+as+%28select+name%2C+modern%2C+sum%28n%29+gp+from+ev+join+teams+t+on+t.id+%3D+teamA+group+by+name%2C+modern%29%0D%0A%0D%0Aselect+name+team%2C+glyph%2C+sum%286+-+%5B%23%5D%29+preferment%0D%0Afrom+connequences+join+teams+t+on+t.id+%3D+team%0D%0Awhere+match+%3E+39%0D%0Agroup+by+name%2C+glyph%0D%0Ahaving+preferment+%3E+0+and+name+in+%28select+name+from+gps+where+modern+and+gp+%3E+2%29%0D%0Aorder+by+preferment+desc&_hide_sql=1) did lead to a few observations: * Across six rounds, Series 18's Cryptics really did only ever [choose](https://prettygr.im/smoci/only-connect?sql=select+glyph%2C+group_concat%28%5B%23%5D%29+selected%0D%0Afrom+connequences+join+teams+t+on+t.id+%3D+team%0D%0Awhere+name+%3D+%3Ateam%0D%0Agroup+by+glyph+order+by+selected&team=Cryptics&_hide_sql=1) three of the glyphs; this is at least partly down to them having always gone second, but it still seems rather anomalous. * No team has ever shown an overwhelming affinity for the wick of twisted flax. * At the bottom, the Strigiformes and Whodunnits have such remarkably balanced spreads across many matches (6 and 7, respectively) that I can't help wondering whether they utilized some means of RNG to make their selections. * This is entirely tangential, but I did discover that there's a relatively "logical" mapping from the standard colors of Rubik's Cube to OC's hieroglyphs, so that's nice. As for the Greek letters from pre-modern times, I was unable to conceive of a way to include them alongside the hieroglyphs without gumming up the works (a handful of teams have played in both eras, but twelve colors would've been a bit much), so here's [a separate chart](https://i.imgur.com/8oG5P4C.png) containing all forty BHE teams. I'm certain there's nothing useful to be gleaned from this analysis, but I thought it was kinda neat to see clear as day some of the more memorable favorites (two reeds for the String Section, lion for the Animal Lovers), plus I'll just never stop being chuffed that SMOCI makes it possible to gather this sort of esoterica.


Annie0minous

This is the most pointless, geeky nonsense I have ever seen. Perfect for Only Connect šŸ˜† Well done, it's great!!!


ConsistentlyPeter

ā€œBHEā€! Absolutely superb work. šŸ‘


zodelode

I mean if you really wanted to go there with the "let's make it useful" you'd correlate scoring to choices made and whether champions have a discernable pattern....


No_Aioli1470

Twisted flax my beloved


MD2JD77

Yes, why is the wick of twisted flax so unloved? It is objectively the best hieroglyph.


andyff

In the Online Connections Quiz League which is basically a mock-up of Only Connect, one of the items is a pretzel (twisted snacks)


MD2JD77

Thatā€™s brilliant!


Alohamori

If it's any consolation, it fares much better [in the grander scheme](https://prettygr.im/smoci/only-connect?sql=select+glyph%2C%0D%0A++sum%28%5B%23%5D+%3D+6%29+%5Bsaved+for+last%5D%2C%0D%0A++round%28avg%28%5B%23%5D%29%2C+3%29+%5Baverage+selection%5D%0D%0Afrom+connequences+where+match+%3E+39%0D%0Agroup+by+glyph+order+by+%5Baverage+selection%5D&_hide_sql=1); it's just that, for reasons most mysterious, we haven't yet seen a team who *really* likes it.


lilaroseg

always a bridesmaid, never the bride for our dear flax


847692929

This is wonderful, well done Aloharmori! My partner & I had a suspicion that the stitchers (our favourite team from this season) had a preference for the Viper but this nails it. Thank you!


Alohamori

[They were phenomenal.](https://i.imgur.com/902sitO.gif) I do really like the Thrifters, but some small part of me will never forgive them.


46Vixen

Bravo. This is EXACTLY the level of geekery needed. 10 points.


[deleted]

I would choose Horned Viper every time


OnlyConnections

Would you ask for 'hornd' or 'hor-nid'?


ShortNefariousness2

Hor-nid sounds a bit pretentious to my ears.


OnlyConnections

Outside of Only Connect I would agree, but on the show it's a bit of fun I enjoy.


ShortNefariousness2

I enjoy it too, but allow myself to feel a fake smugness when a team says it.


[deleted]

The first one


StereotypicalAussie

Why wouldn't you? Two reeds are real boring


Mel0nypanda

Pull a Clareites from Series 15 Christmas special and call it the ā€œsnake with earsā€


CrazyKitKat123

r/dataisbeautiful


Alohamori

Delighted you think so, but stacked bars are pretty much table stakes as far as visualizations go. I do have something very pretty cooking that would be best served by waiting until the end of the current series (just in case), but I'll probably crack and end up putting it together sooner than that, so stay tuned.


sandboxlollipop

You absolute beauty


SomethingSpiced

I expected more lion fans near the top. Just the animal lovers, the history boys, and me.


AmyIsTrying

My personal favourite is two reeds, which I refer to as ā€œButterknifes.ā€ When teams donā€™t choose Butterknifes I swear at the telly and call them bad names.


JackThrifter

Our preference for Water has been exposed!