Will either of today's players take one of the places, maybe..........
Let's find out, enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 20 November 2014.
C1: Champion Malcolm Fletcher (1 win, 60 points.) A vet from London. He's also a member of the Blackheath Fencing Club.
C2: Challenger Edward Byrne. An Apterite and student at University College, Dublin from Booterstown, Dublin. He's a big 60's and 70's rock music collector, and also plays the classical guitar.
DC: Susie Dent and Michael Whitehall.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S N M E U Z A P O
R02: H R P I A E S T L
R03: 50, 6, 4, 10, 10, 3. Target: 109.
TTT: RIBSSUIT - "My shoulder's killing me, I hope my ribs don't follow suit"
R04: R D T L O I U E N
R05: R B R A O D E N A
R06: 75, 50, 100, 25, 9, 3. Target: 774.
R07: C O M D E N A T U
R08: D K S O I E A W T
R09: 75, 4, 5, 5, 10, 2. Target: 617.
TTT: ISNTLACY - "If you're clad this way, it probably is lacy"
R10: G S F T O E A U S
R11: X R N O I A C R S
R12: R T R L I A E O T
R13: Y S M I E R A F T
R14: 50, 5, 6, 1, 3, 3. Target: 559.
R15: P I D D L Y S E A (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: S N M E U Z A P O
Malcolm: OPENS (5)
Edward: MOPANES (7)
DC: SPUMONE (7)
OT: APOZEMS (7) PNEUMAS (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)
A very good start from Edward with a good modern Countdown favourite.
An APOZEM is a concentrated liquor resulting from heating or infusing a substance, used for medicinal purposes.
In Stoic thought, a PNEUMA is the vital spirit, soul, or creative force of a person.
Round 2: H R P I A E S T L
Malcolm: PLASTER (7)
Edward: PARTIES (7)
DC: HARPIST (7) PILASTER (8)
OT: EARTHSLIP (18)
Score: 7–14 (max 25)
Plenty of 7's, a DC 8, but there's also a hidden 9 too
EARTHSLIP is a collapse of a mass of earth from a mountain or cliff.
Round 3: 50, 6, 4, 10, 10, 3. Target: 109.
Malcolm: 109. (10 x 10) + 6 + 3 (10)
Edward: 109. (10 x 6) + 50 - (4 - 3) (10)
Score: 17–24 (max 35)
Nice and easy, NEXT
Teatime teaser: RIBSSUIT -> BURSITIS
Round 4: R D T L O I U E N
Malcolm: OUTLINED (8)
Edward: OUTLINER (8)
DC: UNDERLIT (8)
OT: ROUTINED (8)
Score: 25–32 (max 43)
8's apiece, good matching up here.
Round 5: R B R A O D E N A
Malcolm: BROADEN (7)
Edward: BROADEN (7)
DC: BROADER (7)
OT: ABRADER (7) ADORNER (7) BANDORA (7) BANDORE (7) BOARDER (7) BRANDER (7) REBOARD (7) REBRAND (7)
Score: 32–39 (max 50)
Almost written out there was that 7, this game is still finely poised.
Round 6: 75, 50, 100, 25, 9, 3. Target: 774.
Malcolm: 775.
Edward: 774. (75 x 9) + 100 - (3 - (50 / 25)) (10)
Score: 32–49 (max 60)
Edward brings out the 4 large and as a nice little bonus comes 10 unanswered points for him.
Michael talks about combing meeting with Christopher Reeve and doing his children's school fun run.
Round 7: C O M D E N A T U
Malcolm: TOUCAN (6)
Edward: DOCUMENT (8)
DC: OUTDANCE (8)
OT: AMOUNTED (8) MANUCODE (8) UNCOATED (8)
Score: 32–57 (max 68)
And that's another fantastic spot by Edward. Certainly in cruise control with 6 maxes out of 7.
A MANUCODE is a bird of paradise of which the male and female have similar blue-black plumage and breed as stable pairs. (Genus Manucodia, family Paradisaeidae)
Round 8: D K S O I E A W T
Malcolm: SOAKED (6)
Edward: WAITED (6)
DC: WAISTED (7)
OT: IODATES (7) OAKIEST (7) TOADIES (7)
Score: 38–63 (max 75)
Slightly bad miss by Edward for forgetting to stick the S in WAITED, although that's not quite as bad as forgetting to stick the I in WASTED.......
An IODATE is a salt or ester of iodic acid, a crystalline acid with strong oxidizing properties, made by oxidation of iodine. (Chemical formula: HIO3)
Round 9: 75, 4, 5, 5, 10, 2. Target: 617.
Malcolm: -
Edward: 616. (75 + (10 / 5)) x 4 x 2 (7)
OT: 617. ((75 + (5 x 10)) x 5) - (4 x 2) (10)
Score: 38–70 (max 85)
Malcolm goes blank, leaving Edward to capitalise and go a whole 32 points clear. Even Rachel finds this 88%er a tricky one to do......
Teatime teaser: ISNTLACY -> SCANTILY
Round 10: G S F T O E A U S
Malcolm: OUTAGES (7)
Edward: OUTAGES (7)
DC: GUSSET (6)
OT: OUTGASES (8)
Score: 45–77 (max 93)
Plenty of OUTAGES here, but no-one spots the darrenic 8 here.........
Round 11: X R N O I A C R S
Malcolm: AXIONS (6)
Edward: ACORNS (6)
DC: CORSAIR (7)
OT: CARRION (7)
Score: 51–83 (max 100)
Some AXIONS and ACORNS from the contestants, but DC have a brilliant CORSAIR for 7.
CARRION is the decaying flesh of dead animals.
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "Slough" and other nearby towns.
Round 12: R T R L I A E O T
Malcolm: TOILET (6)
Edward: literator
DC: TRAILER (7) RETRIAL (7) REALTOR (7)
OT: RATTLIER (8)
Score: 57–83 (max 108)
WOAH! WOAH!! WOAH!!! With the authority of a man at least twice his age, Edward says he has a 9 to the shock of just about everyone in the room, but it is too good to be true, as literator isn't in...........
But, Malcolm can get off the TOILET now. Round 13: Y S M I E R A F T
Malcolm: MASTERY (7)
Edward: mistery
DC: FAIREST (7) MISERY (6)
OT: FIRMEST (7) MAESTRI (7) MAISTRY (7)
Score: 64–83 (max 115)
While Malcolm shows some MASTERY, Edward's form seems to be a mystery (or should that be mistery......), but whatever it is, from being in complete control, Edward is not that secure any more, with him being a very dangerous 19 points clear with 2 rounds to go............, but at least it's the numbers now.
In South Asia, a MAISTRY is a master workman or a foreman.
Round 14: 50, 5, 6, 1, 3, 3. Target: 559.
Malcolm: 559. ((5 + 6) x 50) + (3 x 3) (10)
Edward: 556.
Score: 74–83 (max 125)
OH! MY!! GOD!!! Edward seems to have imploded and from absolutely nothing, Malcolm is now one conundrum away from one of the biggest turnarounds in the whole history of the show. Can Edward regain his composure to get the conundrum, or will he hope that a tricky conundrum appears...........
Round 15: P I D D L Y S E A
Edward buzzes on 13.75 seconds to say DISPLAYED which is correct.
Final Score: 74–93 (max 135)
Well, Edward shakily gets over the line thanks to his conundrum solve, but I'm sure he'll be hoping that his next game won't be like that
An almost flawless start suddenly unravelled in the final 4 rounds thanks to his unfortunate miss with literator, but he has certainly shown to be a powerful opponent. If he can keep his nerves in check, a place in the finals will surely be his.
Join Anthony tomorrow to see what will happen next.
I'll be back next week for what could potentially be an all-Irish Aptobattle, as Antoinette Ryan makes her début, and if Edward is still in, a cracker could be on the cards.
So, till then, have a great weekend. Bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Malcolm:
Total score - 74
Raw score - 92
Total % of max - 55
Raw % of max - 69
Total average score per round - 4.9
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 5
Edward:
Total score - 93
Raw score - 100
Total % of max - 69
Raw % of max - 74
Total average score per round - 6.2
Raw average score per round - 6.7
Number of maxes - 7
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71