What about this brainy University Challenge girl then?

[UnquietDad]

I've been following Miss Trimble's progress keenly over the last few weeks. Now she is featured in both the Observer and the Mail on the same day.

Some of the blog articles mentioned in the article and linked to in the comments are not very nice.

What's the betting she turns up presenting a "Classical world for Beginners" type documentary? I'd watch!

[bagsforlife]

Yes, I saw the article in the Observer!!
Am afraid I am in the finding her desperately irritating camp. Jeremy likes her though......

[Buda]

Haven't seen her as don't get UC but my initial thoughts are that she should do something more useful with her brain than a doctorate in sodding Latin. If she is that clever she could actually make a difference in some field.

And yes I am being unreasonable in some ways but am having shit day.

[UnquietDad]

Why on earth shouldn't she study Latin?

One of the major failings in our education system is the compulsion to study things that are immediately "useful".

[Buda]

I did warn you I am having a shit day UD!

Latin is a dead language. I spent 13 years learning another dead language (Irish). I just feel that she is obv very clever and there are lots of fields that she could go into that would make a real difference. Studying Latin is one thing but doing a doctorate in it seems like a waste of time to me.

[bellabelly]

Oh, I watched UC the other week when she was on and I was very struck by how quick she was and by her sheer range of general knowledge. Very very impressive. And who cares if she is "sexy"/"attractive" or not - that really is pisspoor. Some of the comments (article link, not on this thread) are just bitter.

[georgimama]

Latin may be a "dead" language but it is the basis of many European languages, and if only it were studied more widely children might understand English grammar a little better.

[Buda]

Quite possibly georgiemama. Still seems a waste of a good brain to me though!

[FAQinglovely]

georgimama - so true - I had no understanding of the English language/grammar until I started doing latin at secondary age.

Then although I struggld with the grammar with that I did at least gain a little understanding of it.

[Jux]

Should she be doing Film Studies then, Buda?

[Buda]

Even more of a waste Jux!

(Disclaimer - I am crabby and hormonal and feel like shit)

[Jux]

Oh OK, sorry for baiting you

I think she's wonderful.

[TsarChasm]

I saw her the other day. I didn't realise she'd taken off in such big way.

She's smart alright, but the flicky action with the hair when she got a question right was annoying.

[scampadoodle]

She is obviously very clever (although DH & I got some of her questions right last week ), and I think it is immaterial whether she is 'attractive' or not (I mean, jesus, in this day & age why is it important?!!)

BUT

she is very irritating - all that 'Golly gosh' gurning she did whenever she answered a question. And stop doing that thing with your hair, woman!

[scampadoodle]

X-post Tsar!

[squeaver]

Sadly enough, dh said to me this morning "ooh it's the University Challenge final tonight" and I "oohed" in reply.

[never gets out emoticon]

[TsarChasm]

Annoying isn't it scampadoodle!?

Once I've tuned into a mannerism it's all I can wait for. I can't watch Gordon Brown any more. Not that he flicks his hair It's the lip thing with him.

[Jux]

Close your eyes!

[lilolilmanchester]

Have to say I think she is amazing. But will be rooting for Manchester tonight so hope she's not on top form!

[UnquietDad]

I don't find her smug at all. I think people are misreading her traditional English modesty/embarrassment at knowing stuff for smugness!

[donnie]

DH and I love University challenge but I have to admit last week we both wanted that girl to be assassinated with all speed. I really hope they lose this week - but they won't will they?

Does anyone remember a fantastic team captain from a year or two ago called Darius Fidget? he was fab. The most geeky, eccentric yet somehow wonderful contestant ever.

[bagsforlife]

There is an equivalent boy to her on the Manchester team.

Should be interesting tonight. Jeremy will be devastated if she, I mean her team, loses. And we get to see them all standing up when they get the prize

[MaryAnnSingleton]

oh dear, she is clever but she irritates the hell out of us chez MAS ...we love University Challenge..but I find her mannerisms smug, not modest.
Have you noticed the having a sip of water thing that nearly everyone does after answering a question ?
Favourite past contestants have been Magdalen's Fitzpatrick (dh liked her especially) and the irresistably named Imperial Totty

[slug]

She behaves like a frightly nice, privately educated, upper-middle class girl. You can just see her ruling the WI as the vicar's wife in 10 years time. I think the reason she gets so many questions right is exactly because she is a Latin scholar. It allows her to decode some of the words in the same way that DH can answer science question that are not his field simply because he knows enough Greek.

[CatIsSleepy]

ah good for her
nothing wrong with her being a clever gal
her team mates must feel like spare parts though

[UnquietDad]

Magdalen, Fitzpatrick