Wednesday 26th November 2014 (Series 71, Prelim 94)

[James Robinson]

So, it's another double bill of Robinson Recaps, and with just 2 weeks until the finals begin, we now need to find out who will be the final person to qualify for the finals.......

At the moment, the 4 wins accrued by James Wall between this series and the last one (along with more conundrum solves) just pip him into 8th over Michael McDowell, but with only 4 wins to his name, that's a reasonably small target for anyone to get, so will someone take the bait...........

Let's see and enjoy.

Countdown recap for Wednesday 26 November 2014.

C1: Champion Rachel Evans (2 wins, 152 points.) A forumite and hydrologist from Wetherby, West Yorkshire.
C2: Challenger Antoinette Ryan. An Apterite and full-time mum from Nenagh, County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. She also plays Gaelic football and rugby for her local teams too.
DC: Susie Dent and making his DC début, Len Goodman.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: F T N S E I E A R
R02: S C L S I E U N R
R03: 100, 25, 1, 8, 5, 7. Target: 850.
TTT: PARTHEEL - "Part of the heel was broken, but they weren't expensive shoes anyway"
R04: L S D C I A E P M
R05: T I D E V N O R U
R06: 100, 7, 1, 5, 6, 3. Target: 405.
R07: W A N E T O H B S
R08: T B Q G E U A R O
R09: 50, 25, 3, 5, 7, 6. Target: 538.
TTT: FIREBEDS - "Asks lots of questions about the lost underwear"
R10: Y S D T A U I L O
R11: A C O S I J T A P
R12: G R V N E U E R A
R13: T I S E D K O E H
R14: 50, 25, 7, 8, 3, 1. Target: 669.
R15: T E L L R O C C O (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: F T N S E I E A R

Rachel: fainters
Antoinette: FAIREST (7)
DC: FEINTER (7) TRAINEES (8)
OT: FASTENER (8) FENESTRA (8) REFASTEN (8) RESINATE (8)
Score: 0–7 (max 8)

A bit of bad luck for Rachel as she falls into the fainters trap, which gives Antoinette, the FAIREST one of all, the early lead.

A FENESTRA is a small natural hole or opening, especially in a bone. The mammalian middle ear is linked by the fenestra ovalis to the vestibule of the inner ear, and by the fenestra rotunda to the cochlea.

Round 2: S C L S I E U N R

Rachel: UNCLES (6)
Antoinette: INSURES (7)
DC: CURLINESS (18)
Score: 0–14 (max 26)

Antoinette quickly INSURES her lead by doubling her margin, while DC so for a quick turn, or should that be a quick curl with a brilliant 9

Round 3: 100, 25, 1, 8, 5, 7. Target: 850.

Rachel: 850. (8 x 100) + ((7 - 5) x 25) (10)
Antoinette: 850. (8 x 100) + ((7 - 5) x 25) (10)
Score: 10–24 (max 36)

Rachel gets into the game thanks to the easy numbers game.

Teatime teaser: PARTHEEL -> PLEATHER

Round 4: L S D C I A E P M

Rachel: CLAMPED (7)
Antoinette: MISPLACED (18)
DC: MEDICALS (8)
Score: 10–42 (max 54)

HERE COMES THE 9 EXPRESS Full steam ahead for Antoinette. (Or is that just a bit MISPLACED )

Round 5: T I D E V N O R U

Rachel: OUTRIDE (7)
Antoinette: ROUTINED (8)
DC: OUTDRIVEN (18)
Score: 10–50 (max 72)

Antoinette seems to have got herself ROUTINED, DC have got themselves OUTDRIVEN for a THIRD NINE

Round 6: 100, 7, 1, 5, 6, 3. Target: 405.

Rachel: 405. ((7 - 3) x 100) + 5 (10)
Antoinette: 405. ((7 - 3) x 100) + 5 (10)
Score: 20–60 (max 82)

Now that is easy........... NEXT

Len talks about how he got his love of dancing in 1965......

Round 7: W A N E T O H B S

Rachel: TOWNS (5)
Antoinette: BATONS (6)
DC: BENTHOS (7)
Score: 20–66 (max 89)

That's 2 shows on the bounce that Rachel has dropped the BATONS. Antoinette is in complete control here, but credit to DC too for an exceptional darrenic 7.

Round 8: T B Q G E U A R O

Rachel: OUTRAGE (7)
Antoinette: OUTRAGE (7)
DC: BAROQUE (7)
OT: BORGATE (7) EQUATOR (7) QUORATE (7)
Score: 27–73 (max 96)

Rachel finally scores in a letters game, even if it was a bit of an OUTRAGE.

In Britain specifically, a QUORATE is a meeting attended by a quorum and so having valid proceedings.

Round 9: 50, 25, 3, 5, 7, 6. Target: 538.

Rachel: 538. Mistake in working.
Antoinette: 539. ((50 + 25) x 7) + 3 + 6 + 5 (7)
RR: 538. ((50 + 25) x 7) + (3 x 6) - 5 (10)
Score: 27–80 (max 106)

Oh dear, oh dear, Rachel looked like she had managed to get some sort of grip in the game, but a miscalculation sends Antoinette even further away from her.......

Teatime teaser: FIREBEDS -> DEBRIEFS

Round 10: Y S D T A U I L O

Rachel: outlaid
Antoinette: LAYOUTS (7)
DC: OUTLAY (6) SODALITY (8)
Score: 27–87 (max 114)

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear once more. It's definitely not Rachel's day today, another miss in the letters game sees Antoinette go 60 points clear. (Must be the luck of the Irish...... ) Another great darren from DC too.

Round 11: A C O S I J T A P

Rachel: PATIOS (6)
Antoinette: COATIS (6)
DC: TAPIOCAS (8)
Score: 33–93 (max 122)

Another darrenic 8 from DC and thanks to her lovely COATIS, Antoinette has the game won with 4 rounds to go.

Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of different types of moustaches, in honour of "Movember".

Round 12: G R V N E U E R A

Rachel: ENGRAVER (8)
Antoinette: VAGUER (6)
Score: 41–93 (max 130)

An impressive darrenic 8 from Rachel, which even beats DC. It might be too late to change the outcome, but that's got to cheer Rachel up no end.

Round 13: T I S E D K O E H

Rachel: HOISTED (7)
Antoinette: HOKIEST (7)
DC: HOSTED (6) STOKED (6)
OT: HEISTED (7)
Score: 48–100 (max 137)

Antoinette comes up with a quirky 7 to get her past the century, can she get up to 120, possibly..........

Round 14: 50, 25, 7, 8, 3, 1. Target: 669.

Rachel: 668. ((50 + 25) x (8 + 1)) - 7 (7)
Antoinette: 668. ((50 + 25) x (8 + 1)) - 7 (7)
OT: 669. ((50 + 25 - 8) x (7 + 3)) - 1 (10)
Score: 55–107 (max 147)

Well, no 120 for Antoinette as everyone in the studio is stumped by the 669..........

Round 15: T E L L R O C C O

Rachel buzzes on 6.75 seconds to say COLLECTOR which is correct.
Final Score: 65–107 (max 157)

A bit of controversy as Rachel seems to want to retract saying COLLECTOR (presumably thinking it's spelt collecter), but she said the word, so there's no controversy in my eyes.

So, with the 2nd highest post-format change max available, it's been a brilliant début for Antoinette, who just blew Rachel out of the water and didn't give her the chance to get back in until it was too late.

I'll be back tomorrow to see if she can continue this great start and maybe take the last finals spot.........

So, till then, bye for now.

Statistics Corner

Rachel:
Total score - 65
Raw score - 90
Total % of max - 41
Raw % of max - 57
Total average score per round - 4.3
Raw average score per round - 6.0
Number of maxes - 6

Antoinette:
Total score - 107
Raw score - 113
Total % of max - 68
Raw % of max - 72
Total average score per round - 7.1
Raw average score per round - 7.5
Number of maxes - 5

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

[Rachel Evans]

Well, thanks for begrudging me one of only 2 rounds in which I beat Antoinette! The Countdown rules clearly state that points will be awarded if the contestant who buzzes, correctly identifies the nine-letter word. Which I did. So I don't see where any controversy arises (and I do know how to spell COLLECTOR, actually!)

Rachel.

[Graeme Cole]

Well, thanks for begrudging me one of only 2 rounds in which I beat Antoinette! The Countdown rules clearly state that points will be awarded if the contestant who buzzes, correctly identifies the nine-letter word. Which I did. So I don't see where any controversy arises (and I do know how to spell COLLECTOR, actually!)

No controversy at all. Well played.

I've just read this line again...

A bit of controversy as Rachel seems to want to retract saying COLLECTOR (presumably thinking it's spelt collecter), but she said the word, so there's controversy in my eyes.

It doesn't make sense to me as written, so I think James just mistyped and missed out a "no". The phrase "but she said the word" suggests to me that James meant to follow it with "there's no controversy in my eyes" rather than "there's controversy in my eyes".

[George Pryn]

Well, thanks for begrudging me one of only 2 rounds in which I beat Antoinette! The Countdown rules clearly state that points will be awarded if the contestant who buzzes, correctly identifies the nine-letter word. Which I did. So I don't see where any controversy arises (and I do know how to spell COLLECTOR, actually!)

Rachel.

There is no controversy!!! It's about as controversial as when people say I don't think this is in/I think I've made this up which people do in letters rounds ALL of the time. You played well and deserved your teapotted status, an all-round good player with some brilliant spots. This is unarguable, as you managed to out-max the bulletproof Antoinette, a feat that shouldn't go unnoticed.

[James Robinson]

A bit of controversy as Rachel seems to want to retract saying COLLECTOR (presumably thinking it's spelt collecter), but she said the word, so there's controversy in my eyes.

It doesn't make sense to me as written, so I think James just mistyped and missed out a "no". The phrase "but she said the word" suggests to me that James meant to follow it with "there's no controversy in my eyes" rather than "there's controversy in my eyes".

Yes, indeed, not sure how I missed the word "No" there, but yes, nothing wrong with the conundrum to me.

[Rachel Evans]

Thanks for clarifying.

I don't think I was a very confident player - I expressed doubt in my solutions on a number of rounds. In fact in one of my more successful numbers rounds [against David Hooson, Tuesday 25th Nov], Rachel Riley actually told me "Don't be so doubtful!" Anyway seeing what a fantastic player Antoinette is, I was fairly happy with my score of 65 against her, so I didn't want any of those precious points called into question.......!

Best wishes

Rachel.