So, time to enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 25 November 2015.
C1: Champion James Richards (2 wins, 175 points.) A vocalist, rapper and music producer from Tottenham, London.
C2: Challenger David Tucker. A pricing manager from Wokingham, Berkshire. He's a trumpeter in his local orchestra, and likes to take part in 5km swim-a-thons.
DC: Susie Dent and Deborah Meaden.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: M D I U O P T D E
R02: R A E T K R U T D
R03: 100, 3, 2, 9, 9, 7. Target: 757.
TTT: PLUMFADS - "Might these help keep your tiger feet clean?"
R04: N B R E A O D M G
R05: T S W U A I S J O
R06: 50, 8, 2, 4, 2, 6. Target: 455.
R07: T P A E D R S M O
R08: I T R V C E A D I
R09: 75, 6, 4, 10, 5, 4. Target: 270.
TTT: SNAPLIES - "It sounds like the damaged window never felt a thing"
R10: T U O C R H I E S
R11: O I Z H N L N A S
R12: R E U S F N O T W
R13: R E G T U O G S A
R14: 50, 7, 1, 6, 8, 7. Target: 526.
R15: B L O B C R E E D (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: M D I U O P T D E
James: POUTED (6)
David: TEDIUM (6)
DC: IMPUTED (7)
OT: PODETIUM (8) PODIUMED (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)
James gets POUTED for the second show on the spin, but this show is certainly not showing TEDIUM either, nor the 2 available 8's including a new ODO entry.....
In some lichens (especially of the genus Cladonia), a PODETIUM is a lichenized stalk-like portion of a fruticose apothecium, bearing spore-producing tissue at its tip.
Round 2: R A E T K R U T D
James: RATTED (6)
David: RATTED (6)
DC: TARRED (6) RUTTED (6)
OT: DARKER (6) DARTER (6) RATTER (6) RETARD (6) RUTTER (6) TARTED (6) TARTER (6) TAUTER (6) TETRAD (6) TRADER (6) TURRET (6)
Score: 12–12 (max 14)
FLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT...................................
NEXT
A DARTER (Family Anhingidae and genus Anhinga) is a long-necked fish-eating bird related to the cormorants, typically found in fresh water, where they frequently swim submerged to the neck.
Round 3: 100, 3, 2, 9, 9, 7. Target: 757.
James: 757. ((100 + 9) x 7) - 9 + 3 (10)
David: 756.
Score: 22–12 (max 24)
A decent enough numbers solve from my namesake gives him the first lead of the day.
Teatime teaser: PLUMFADS -> MUDFLAPS
Round 4: N B R E A O D M G
James: BROADEN (7)
David: BARGED (6)
DC: EMBARGO (7) ABDOMEN (7) DRAGOMEN (8)
OT: BONDAGER (8)
Score: 29–12 (max 32)
And he now seems to want to BROADEN his lead with that 7, while DC go for an 8.
A BONDAGER is a person who performed services as a condition of feudal tenure.
Round 5: T S W U A I S J O
James: JOUSTS (6)
David: JOUSTS (6)
DC: TOWAIS (6)
OT: JOISTS (6) OUTSAW (6) WAISTS (6)
Score: 35–18 (max 38)
A nice bit of JOUSTS between the players.
Round 6: 50, 8, 2, 4, 2, 6. Target: 455.
James: 454. ((50 - 4) x (8 + 2)) - 6 (7)
David: 454. (((2 / 2) + 8) x 50) + 4 (7)
RR: 454/456. (7)
OT: 456. ((2 / 2) + 6 + 50) x 8 (7)
Score: 42–25 (max 45)
The nightmare scenario of a selection of even numbers with an odd target appears......
Deborah talks about an invention from an 18-year-old and his plasterboard fitting invention, which is now selling all over the world, and about to crack the USA.
Round 7: T P A E D R S M O
James: SPORTED (7)
David: STOMPED (7)
DC: RADOMES (7) READOPTS (8)
OT: ADOPTERS (8) PASTORED (8)
Score: 49–32 (max 53)
While the contestants appear to have SPORTED and STOMPED their way to 7's, DC decide to do some readopting with READOPTS for 8.
Round 8: I T R V C E A D I
James: ADVICE (6)
David: CRAVED (6)
DC: RIVET (5) TRICE (5) TREAD (5) TRACED (6)
Me: VERDICT (7)
OT: RATICIDE (8)
Score: 55–38 (max 61)
Lots of 6's here, but while I pass VERDICT with a 7, a new darrenic 8 appears.
Round 9: 75, 6, 4, 10, 5, 4. Target: 270.
James: 271. (4 x 75) - ((4 x 10) - (6 + 5)) (7)
David: -
RR: 270. (4 x 75) - (6 x 5) (10)
Score: 62–38 (max 71)
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. While James struggles to get to 1 away, the relatively straightforward method makes both players feel a bit bad about themselves.....
Teatime teaser: SNAPLIES -> PAINLESS
Round 10: T U O C R H I E S
James: OUTCRIES (8)
David: OUTCRIES (8)
DC: TOUCHIER (8)
OT: CITREOUS (8) THEORICS (8) TOUCHERS (8)
Score: 70–46 (max 79)
Plenty of OUTCRIES here.
CITREOUS means citron- or lemon-coloured; (more loosely) yellow or yellowish.
A THEORIC is the conceptual basis of a subject or area of study.
Round 11: O I Z H N L N A S
James: shaolin
David: ZONAL (5)
DC: SLAIN (5) HALONS (6)
OT: ALOINS (6) ANIONS (6) NASION (6)
Score: 70–51 (max 85)
A superbly found 7 by James there, such a shame it's capitalised.
An ALOIN (or ALOINE) is any of several organic compounds isolated from the sap of aloes; (in later use) specifically an anthraquinone which forms bitter-tasting lemon-yellow crystals and has purgative and cathartic effects.
A NASION is the centre of the frontonasal suture.
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of the phrase, "drunk as a lord".
Round 12: R E U S F N O T W
James: FRONTS (6)
David: towners
DC: FORTUNES (8) TONSURE (7)
Score: 76–51 (max 93)
A reasonable guess from David, but it is TOWNIES, rather than towners, while DC collect their FORTUNES, not that they need much with Deborah Meaden in there.
Round 13: R E G T U O G S A
James: OUTRAGES (8)
David: OUTRAGES (8)
Score: 84–59 (max 101)
A simple 8 gives James his deserved hat-trick of wins.
Round 14: 50, 7, 1, 6, 8, 7. Target: 526.
James: -
David: 524. Mistake in working.
RR: 526. ((7 + 7 + 1 + 50) x 8) + 6 (or using David's abandoned method: ((50 + 7) x (8 + 1)) + 7 + 6) (10)
Score: 84–59 (max 111)
Ack, the only saving grace for David its that the game was over and his misdeclaration, which actually could've provided the right answer, wasn't as crucial as it could've been........
Round 15: B L O B C R E E D
David buzzes on 1 second to say CLOBBERED which is correct.
Final Score: 84–69 (max 121)
Well, I wonder if David does feel a little bit CLOBBERED after the last few rounds, especially as with a little bit of difference in rounds 12 and 14, he could even have won this match.....
But, it's James who has made it 3 wins out of 3, and with his decent scores, another couple of wins could certainly put him in contention of making the finals.....
Join Tracey for the next instalment. I'll see you next week. Bye for now.
Statistics Corner
James:
Total score - 84
Raw score - 84
Total % of max - 69
Raw % of max - 69
Total average score per round - 5.6
Raw average score per round - 5.6
Number of maxes - 6
David:
Total score - 69
Raw score - 82
Total % of max - 57
Raw % of max - 68
Total average score per round - 4.6
Raw average score per round - 5.5
Number of maxes - 6
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=73