Monday 28th July 2014 (series 71 prelim 19)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 28 July 2014.

C1: Challenger Tricia Pay. (3 wins, 328 points) Retired land registrar from Devon who Nick reveals is a member of the mastermind club

C2: Challenger Duncan McGregor. a betting shop manager from Stirling. He supports Aberdeen FC and is a new dad to a daughter called Cara who was born in November ’13.

DC: Susie Dent and Bill Turnbull.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: N J R I E A D N E
R02: R N S I O U L B E
R03: 2, 8, 1, 10, 5, 50. Target: 159.
TTT: ACNERISK - "you'll risk getting acne if you don't engage in this"
R04: T G P O E A N Z U
R05: R G T O A E D S O
R06: 6, 8, 3, 8, 100, 50. Target: 137.
R07: W H X U I E T G V
R08: T K S I A O N T A
R09: 7, 10, 8, 4, 1, 75. Target: 153.
TTT: MALERING - "the mail rings work to pull a sickie"
R10: C S H O E I T L D
R11: R V P E O E D L Y
R12: R G S I E A M C R
R13: P M B I A E R N L
R14: 1, 1, 9, 7, 50, 100. Target: 223.
R15: A N D H E G R I N (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: N J R I E A D N E

Tricia: RAINED (6)
Duncan: DINNER (6)
DC: DEARIE (6) ENDEAR (6) DENIER (6)
OT: ADENINE (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)

Standard sixes from both contestants see them both get on the board. With DC also getting six, it seemed like that was the max but there was a darrenic seven in there.


Round 2: R N S I O U L B E

Tricia: blousier
Duncan: ROUBLES (7)
OT: BRUNOISE (8) RIBULOSE (8)
Score: 6–13 (max 15)

Susie reveals that BLOWSIER is spelt with a W and not a U. This means that Duncan takes the first lead of the day with his ROUBLES

RIBULOSE is a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms, and including a ketone functional group
BRUINOSE is a type of culinary knife.


Round 3: 2, 8, 1, 10, 5, 50. Target: 159.

Tricia: 159. ((5-2*50)+8+1 (10)
Duncan: 159. ((8-5)*50)+(10-1) (10)
Score: 16–23 (max 25)

A nice and easy numbers game sees the contestants scores increase by ten.



Teatime teaser: ACNERISK -> SKINCARE

Round 4: T G P O E A N Z U

Tricia: aptogen
Duncan: gateau
DC: PONZU (5) NOUGAT (6)
OT: OUTAGE (6) PEANUT (6) POTAGE (6) TONGUE (6) AUTOPEN (7)
Score: 16–23 (max 32)

Double miss by both contestants. Tricia’s word isn’t I the dictionary and Duncan has seen two A’s when theres only one in the selection.





Round 5: R G T O A E D S O

Tricia: ROOSTED (7)
Duncan: ROASTED (7)
DC: TOERAGS (7) STORAGE (7)
OT: DASTOOR (7) DOTAGES (7) ORGEATS (7) STOOGED (7) TADGERS (7) TODGERS (7) TORSADE (7)
Score: 23–30 (max 39)

A flat round sees both contestants hit the max. There were some nice max words available but the contestants are happy with their more standard sevens.

ORGEAT is a flavouring added to food or drink. I guess if you both want it in your food it can follow the countdown ruling which enables all foodstuff to be pluralised.
A DASTOOR is an Indian high Priest
TADGERS is a variant of TODGERS




Round 6: 6, 8, 3, 8, 100, 50. Target: 137.

Tricia: 136. 100+50-6-8 (7)
Duncan: 136. 100+50-6-8 (7)
RR: 137. (100+50)-(8+8-3) (10)
Score: 30–37 (max 49)

Contestants are both one away (surprisingly) and Rachael shows them how to get it spot on. It may be that one away was so obvious that the contestants may have looked at more elaborate ways to hit the target when in actual fact the real solution was close at hand.



DC Guest: Bill talks about how he does not always dress formally “below the desk” and recounts a story of how he wore Bermuda shorts in Washington when he met President Bush.


Round 7: W H X U I E T G V

Tricia: WHITE (5)
Duncan: WHITE (5)
DC: WEIGHT (6)
Score: 35–42 (max 55)

Its Bill who gets the max here as Susie points out that she did not spot the max in this round (well done Bill)



Round 8: T K S I A O N T A

Tricia: STATION (7)
Duncan: STATION (7)
DC: TOAST (5) TANKAS (6)
OT: STOTINKA (8)
Score: 42–49 (max 63)

As you’d expect the contestants both get STATION which was leaping out from that selection. No one spots STOTINKA however, a monetary unit of Bulgaria, equal to one hundredth of a lev.




Round 9: 7, 10, 8, 4, 1, 75. Target: 153.

Tricia: 153. (10+7)*(8+1) (10)
Duncan: 153. ((8/4)*50)-(10-7) (10)
Score: 52–59 (max 73)

That’s the third consecutive numbers round beginning with a one. As is usually the case with low targets its quite simple and both contestants get there with different methods



Teatime teaser: MALERING -> MALINGER

Round 10: C S H O E I T L D

Tricia: COLDEST (7)
Duncan: HOISTED (7)
DC: CLOTHES (7) DITCHES (7) HOLIEST (7)
OT: CITOLES (7) CLOTHED (7) COLDIES (7) COLDISH (7) COLTISH (7) DELICTS (7) DOLTISH (7) EOLITHS (7) HOSTILE (7) LITHOED (7) LITHOES (7)
Score: 59–66 (max 80)


Flattest round of the game sees both contestants hit the max with seven.
CITOLES are lute-like medieval stringed instruments, forerunners of the cittern
DELICTS is a legal term referring to violations of the law
EOLITHS is an archaeological term referring to roughly chipped flint found in tertiary strata, originally thought to be an early artefact but probably of natural origin


Round 11: R V P E O E D L Y

Tricia: DEPLORE (7)
Duncan: DEVELOP (7)
DC: REDEPLOY (8)
Score: 66–73 (max 88)

REDEPLOY is an awesome spot by dictionary corner. Contestants are happy with seven, but you have to applaud DC for spotting the max here.




OoW- Susie explains the origin of soft drinks.



Round 12: R G S I E A M C R

Tricia: GRIMACES (8)
Duncan: GRIMACES (8)
DC: GRIMACERS (18)
Score: 74–81 (max 106)

I wonder if either contestant considered trying GRIMACERS, it could have been the decisive blow for either contestant if they’d got it.





Round 13: P M B I A E R N L

Tricia: MANIPLE (7)
Duncan: PRALINE (7)
DC: LINEAR (6) MINERAL (7) MARLINE (7)
OT: BALMIER (7) BIPLANE (7) IMPALER (7) IMPANEL (7) LAMPERN (7) LEMPIRA (7) MANLIER (7) MINABLE (7) NIMBLER (7) PALMIER (7) PLAINER (7) RAILMEN (7)
Score: 81–88 (max 113)

For the second time this game it’s the flattest of flat rounds with seven the max.
Its also notable that seven has been the gap since round 2 and the contestants have equalled each other on every round other than round 2. It looks like this is going to the wire.

A LAMPERN is lamprey of rivers and coastal waters in North Western Europe
A LEMPIRA is the currency unit of Honduras (not the first currency unit to come up today)



Round 14: 1, 1, 9, 7, 50, 100. Target: 223.

Tricia: 223. (100+7)*(1+1)+9 (10)
Duncan: 223. (100+7)*(1+1)+9 (10)
Score: 91–98 (max 123)

Its been a day of easy numbers games and the contestants match each other for the 13th time in 14 rounds. Its all down to the conundrum now…




Round 15: A N D H E G R I N

Duncan buzzes on 2 seconds to say ADHERING which is incorrect.
Tricia buzzes on 9 seconds to say HARDENING which is correct.
Final Score: 101–98 (max 133)


Nerves probably got the better of Duncan there and he probably thought he had to go for it quickly to beat his opponent to the buzzer. As it is his guess is wrong, giving Tricia ample time to work it out with pen and paper.

Duncan does look gutted, and responds with “excellent” when Nick asks him to “come and join us again”. Question: are there now specific guidelines on how long contestants have to wait for a second go? Dan Mccolm’s in this series after a three year gap. By that reckoning Duncan can go on again near the end of 2017.

So that’s it for countdown this week. Be back here next Monday for a full proper week of our favourite gameshow…




Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71

[James Robinson]

Round 4: T G P O E A N Z U

Tricia: aptogen
Duncan: gateau
DC: PONZU (5) NOUGAT (6)
OT: OUTAGE (6) PEANUT (6) POTAGE (6) TONGUE (6)
Score: 16–23 (max 31)

Just been informed by Mr. Worsley that this word is now in the dictionary, so the max needs to be up by 1: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/defin ... ?q=autopen

[Andy McGurn]

Round 4: T G P O E A N Z U

Tricia: aptogen
Duncan: gateau
DC: PONZU (5) NOUGAT (6)
OT: OUTAGE (6) PEANUT (6) POTAGE (6) TONGUE (6)
Score: 16–23 (max 31)

Just been informed by Mr. Worsley that this word is now in the dictionary, so the max needs to be up by 1: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/defin ... ?q=autopen

EDITED

And tell Paul thankyou for that information. Also, when does he debut on the show? it must be pretty soon right?

[Anthony Endsor]

Round 4: T G P O E A N Z U

Tricia: aptogen
Duncan: gateau
DC: PONZU (5) NOUGAT (6)
OT: OUTAGE (6) PEANUT (6) POTAGE (6) TONGUE (6)
Score: 16–23 (max 31)

Just been informed by Mr. Worsley that this word is now in the dictionary, so the max needs to be up by 1: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/defin ... ?q=autopen

EDITED

And tell Paul thankyou for that information. Also, when does he debut on the show? it must be pretty soon right?

I believe he was filming on Tuesday 29th July, but not sure which show he started at. That being the case it would be between 10th and 16th September by my reckoning. That's assuming no racing between 3rd and 16th

[James Robinson]

Round 4: T G P O E A N Z U

Tricia: aptogen
Duncan: gateau
DC: PONZU (5) NOUGAT (6)
OT: OUTAGE (6) PEANUT (6) POTAGE (6) TONGUE (6)
Score: 16–23 (max 31)

Just been informed by Mr. Worsley that this word is now in the dictionary, so the max needs to be up by 1: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/defin ... ?q=autopen

EDITED

And tell Paul thankyou for that information. Also, when does he debut on the show? it must be pretty soon right?

Maybe I should've rephrased that slightly, it was MASTER Worsley, as opposed to MISTER Worsley who informed me of that.

Based on the knowledge I have, I believe his début is September 16.