Monday 18th November 2013 (Series 69, Prelim 94)

[Graeme Cole]

Countdown recap for Monday 18 November 2013.

C1: Champion Simon Whiteley (3 wins, 263 points) is a lay clerk and singer from Windsor. As his name suggests, he's a distant relative of Mr Countdown himself.
C2: Challenger Nick Moore is a customer services officer from Leeds. He plays the guitar. Nick Hewer wonders if he and Simon could form a band.
DC: Susie Dent and Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: E O I W C R H S A
R02: M B E I S N T E A
R03: 100, 50, 25, 2, 1, 4. Target: 533.
TTT: GOTBEARD - "It sounds like Humphrey kept things to himself."
R04: L K T O I U C S A
R05: E U A E Z M R D T
R06: 75, 10, 3, 5, 7, 9. Target: 164.
R07: O I A L N R S Q E
R08: L R S N O I O A G
R09: 100, 25, 50, 3, 2, 3. Target: 548.
TTT: BRINGTHE - "Bring the light all the way down to East Sussex, perhaps?"
R10: R T J T E O I Y A
R11: O U E A F M P D B
R12: R G M P O E A T O
R13: U E I O D T V N D
R14: 50, 4, 1, 10, 5, 3. Target: 667.
R15: F A I T H L E S S (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: E O I W C R H S A

C1: SHOWIER (7)
C2: SHOWER (6)
DC: CASHIER (7) COWRIES (7)
OT: CAHIERS (7) HEROICS (7) OCHREAS (7) ORACHES (7) ROACHES (7) SCORIAE (7) WASHIER (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)

Simon gets in front by adding a letter to Nick's word. COWRIES are brightly patterned marine molluscs. CAHIERS are exercise books. OCHREAS are parts of a plant, ORACHES are plants, and SCORIAE are the bits of basaltic lava ejected from a volcano.


Round 2: M B E I S N T E A

C1: BASEMENT (8)
C2: MATINEES (8)
DC: BEASTIE (7)
OT: BEAMIEST (8) BETAINES (8)
Score: 15–8 (max 15)

MATINEES takes Nick off the mark, but Simon equals it.


Round 3: 100, 50, 25, 2, 1, 4. Target: 533.

C1: 535. (100+2)*(4+1)+25 (7)
C2: 527.
RR: 533. (50+1)*4*2+100+25 (10)
Score: 22–8 (max 25)

Simon tries a variation on the well-known "inverted T" numbers selection by inverting it.


Teatime teaser: GOTBEARD -> BOGARTED


Round 4: L K T O I U C S A

C1: TALKS (5)
C2: LOCUST (6)
DC: OUTSAIL (7)
OT: OCULIST (7) STOICAL (7)
Score: 22–14 (max 32)

Nick's LOCUST brings him back into the game.


Round 5: E U A E Z M R D T

C1: REAMED (6)
C2: DREAMT (6)
DC: MATURED (7)
Score: 28–20 (max 39)

It's often said that DREAMT is the only word in the English language that ends -MT. This isn't quite true, as UNDREAMT is also valid.


Round 6: 75, 10, 3, 5, 7, 9. Target: 164.

C1: 164. (75+7)*(5-3) (10)
C2: 165.
Score: 38–20 (max 49)

Simon's neat numbers solution gives him a good lead again.


Round 7: O I A L N R S Q E

C1: NAILERS (7)
C2: NAILERS (7)
DC: AILERONS (8) ROSALINE (8)
Score: 45–27 (max 57)

Simon and Nick find a seven, but there were two eights lurking around. Susie and Ran give us AILERONS and ROSALINE.


Round 8: L R S N O I O A G

C1: SOARING (7)
C2: GROANS (6)
DC: LORIS (5)
OT: AGRIONS (7) GIRASOL (7) LAGOONS (7) LOOSING (7) OLINGOS (7) RANGOLI (7) SOLOING (7) SOOLING (7)
Score: 52–27 (max 64)

If Nick had picked a fifth vowel and got an E we'd have had AILERONS and ROSALINE again. There would also have been EROSIONAL for 9.


Round 9: 100, 25, 50, 3, 2, 3. Target: 548.

C1: 547. (3+2)*100+50-3 (7)
C2: 550.
RR: 548. (3+3)*100-50-2 (10)
Score: 59–27 (max 74)

Simon picks another inverted inverted T and goes further ahead.


Teatime teaser: BRINGTHE -> BRIGHTEN


Round 10: R T J T E O I Y A

C1: JITTERY (7)
C2: JOTTER (6)
DC: TREATY (6)
Score: 66–27 (max 81)

Simon is running away with it now as he spots the only seven JITTERY.


Round 11: O U E A F M P D B

C1: MOPED (5)
C2: FAMED (5)
DC: BUMPED (6) POMADE (6)
OT: FOAMED (6)
Score: 71–32 (max 87)

Nothing too extraordinary was going to be available with this selection. Both have fives, although Nick could have added the O to make FOAMED.


Round 12: R G M P O E A T O

C1: TAMPER (6)
C2: GROOM (5)
DC: MOORAGE (7) TAPROOM (7)
OT: PORTAGE (7) POTAGER (7) PROMOTE (7)
Score: 77–32 (max 94)

Simon seals the win with three rounds left.

Sir Ranulph is world's greatest living explorer. He's walked across the Antarctic, climbed Everest, run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, and more. So why does he find it so difficult to offer a word on Countdown without making it really obvious Susie fed it to him?


Round 13: U E I O D T V N D

C1: VIDEO (5)
C2: VIDEO (5)
DC: DEVOUT (6) UNITED (6) UNTIED (6)
OT: DEVOID (6) DINTED (6) DOITED (6) DOUTED (6) DUNITE (6) DUNTED (6) INDUED (6) OUTDID (6) VINTED (6) VOIDED (6)
Score: 82–37 (max 100)

This time it doesn't cost him so much, but you'd expect three (now four) time winner Simon to spot one of the sixes in rounds as flat as this one.


Round 14: 50, 4, 1, 10, 5, 3. Target: 667.

C1: 667. (10+3)*(50+1)+4 (10)
C2: 666. Mistake in working.
Score: 92–37 (max 110)

Nick declares 666 and immediately realises he's messed it up before Simon has even declared. Simon's exact solution gives him the chance of his first century.


Round 15: F A I T H L E S S

Simon buzzes on 15 seconds to say FLASHIEST which is correct.
Final Score: 102–37 (max 120)

It's one of those crafty scrambles that's already a word. These are difficult because you have to see past the valid word staring you in the face, and if you practise on apterous you'll find these words aren't used as conundrums. I don't think Simon plays on apterous, but he solves FLASHIEST to get his first ton and earn himself a fifth game. Will he be joining Jen, Dylan and the others in the finals last week? Who knows? Well, I do, but pointing out on here that I went to the finals and also got in to the last session to see the semi-finals and the final despite not having a ticket would be insufferably smug of me, so I definitely won't do that.


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=69