Ah well, let's make do, as the only (truly) unbeaten contestant of this series takes on the only female finalist of this series.
Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Monday 16 June 2014.
C1: #2 Seed Samir "The Bosnian Basher" Pilica (8 wins, 801 points.) A customer adviser from London, but originally from Bosnia-Herzegovina.
C2: #7 Seed Priscilla "The Redhill Ravager" Munday (6 wins, 586 points.) A retired pharmacist from Redhill, Surrey.
DC: Susie Dent and Mark Foster.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S L B N Q O E U S
R02: M P B E A R V I D
R03: 50, 100, 2, 9, 4, 5. Target: 608.
TTT: IRONPOST - "Reduces the size of these in order to lose weight"
R04: T X E O S L U I R
R05: C S G S N O E U R
R06: 25, 7, 2, 8, 3, 6. Target: 343.
R07: L S T F G E O I T
R08: D V R O E O T D A
R09: 50, 100, 9, 6, 3, 9. Target: 534.
TTT: REDSCOPE - "Carries on with all the takings, perhaps?"
R10: F K T E O A M R E
R11: N W J M T I U E H
R12: P S D A I A T Y E
R13: S L R G N O A I E
R14: 100, 10, 6, 1, 4, 9. Target: 695.
R15: F R I E D B U S H (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: S L B N Q O E U S
Samir: BONUSES (7)
Priscilla: NOBLES (6)
DC: BLOUSES (7)
OT: BOLUSES (7) ENSOULS (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)
A perfect start for Samir, who resumes where he left off from a couple of weeks ago.
A BOLUS is a soft, roundish mass or lump, especially of chewed food.
Round 2: M P B E A R V I D
Samir: VAMPIRE (7)
Priscilla: PAIRED (6)
DC: VARIED (6) ADMIRE (6) VAMPED (6)
OT: VAMPIER (7)
Score: 14–0 (max 14)
And if the last round was a BONUS, this was just impressive, even beating DC too
Round 3: 50, 100, 2, 9, 4, 5. Target: 608.
Samir: 609. ((4 + 2) x 100) + 9 (7)
Priscilla: 609. ((4 + 2) x 100) + 9 (7)
RR: 608. (100 + 50 + 2) x 4 (10)
Score: 21–7 (max 24)
Oh dear, a bit of a bad miss by both contestants here, but at least Priscilla is off the mark.
Teatime teaser: IRONPOST -> PORTIONS
Round 4: T X E O S L U I R
Samir: OUTLIERS (8)
Priscilla: LOUSIER (7)
Score: 29–7 (max 32)
Back on top form with a darrenic 8 is our Samir.
Round 5: C S G S N O E U R
Samir: CONGRESS (8)
Priscilla: SCOURGE (7)
DC: SCROUNGES (18)
Score: 37–7 (max 50)
Another good 8 from Samir (although Priscilla could've had an 8 of her own if she'd pluralised her offering), but it's a top-draw performance from DC, who spot the 9.
Round 6: 25, 7, 2, 8, 3, 6. Target: 343.
Samir: 343. ((8 + 6) x 25) - 7 (10)
Priscilla: 343. Mistake in working.
Score: 47–7 (max 60)
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, Priscilla doubles up on the 2, keeping her down on 7 points. Samir is definitely proving to be hard to stop today.............
Mark talks about the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and when he won his first major medal in the Edinburgh games back in 1986
Round 7: L S T F G E O I T
Samir: EGOTIST (7)
Priscilla: LOFTIEST (8)
DC: GLOTTIS (7)
Score: 47–15 (max 68)
WOW
Who saw that coming 
Priscilla will need plenty more of those to complete a miracle turnaround here. Round 8: D V R O E O T D A
Samir: ROOTED (6)
Priscilla: ADVERT (6)
DC: DEODAR (6)
OT: ADORED (6) DARTED (6) DOORED (6) DORADO (6) DOTARD (6) DROVED (6) ORATED (6) OVERDO (6) TRADED (6)
Score: 53–21 (max 74)
Nothing much anyone can do here.
A DORADO is a South American river fish of the genus Salminus, that resembles a salmon.
A DOTARD is a person, especially an old person, exhibiting a decline in mental faculties.
Round 9: 50, 100, 9, 6, 3, 9. Target: 534.
Samir: 535. (50 x 9) + 100 - (6 + 9) (7)
Priscilla: 534. Mistake in working.
RR: 534. ((50 + 9) x 9) + 3 (10)
Score: 60–21 (max 84)
Oh dear, yet more numbers agony for Priscilla, as she thinks she has it, doesn't, then does, but then definitely doesn't.
Teatime teaser: REDSCOPE -> PROCEEDS
Round 10: F K T E O A M R E
Samir: FORMATE (7)
Priscilla: FORMATE (7)
DC: MARKET (6)
OT: MEERKAT (7)
Score: 67–28 (max 91)
A couple of FORMATEs here, although I'm slightly disappointed that no-one picked up the MEERKAT
Simples. 
Round 11: N W J M T I U E H
Samir: MINUTE (6)
Priscilla: WHITEN (6)
DC: MINUET (6)
OT: HITMEN (6) HUMINT (6) INHUME (6)
Score: 73–34 (max 97)
Half a dozen half a dozen offerings here, but Priscilla's time is fast running out now..............
HUMINT is the gathering of political or military intelligence through secret agents.
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "early doors" and "early bath".
Round 12: P S D A I A T Y E
Samir: ADIPATES (8)
Priscilla: PASTED (6)
DC: SPAYED (6)
Score: 81–34 (max 105)
GAME OVER now, as Samir spots another fantastic darrenic 8 to seal the deal.
Round 13: S L R G N O A I E
Samir: REGIONALS (18)
Priscilla: agoniser
Score: 99–34 (max 123)
And that's an even better way to finish, with a 9
Round 14: 100, 10, 6, 1, 4, 9. Target: 695.
Samir: 695. ((6 + 1) x 100) - (9 - 4) (10)
Priscilla: 695. ((6 + 1) x 100) - (9 - 4) (10)
Score: 109–44 (max 133)
At least Priscilla has got some more points on the board, as she has fought so hard just to stay in touch with Samir, but it's been to no avail, and the final's female representation is about to extinguish.
Round 15: F R I E D B U S H
Priscilla buzzes on 3 seconds to say BUSHFIRED which is incorrect.
Samir buzzes on 3.5 seconds to say FURBISHED which is correct.
Final Score: 119–44 (max 143)
Oh dear, Priscilla realises that it's probably not THAT straightforward a conundrum, but Samir buzzes in almost immediately to save the day.
So, a dominant display from our #2 seed, and he's certainly not lost any of his form that got him to these finals, but can he make it to the final itself
He'll be back on June 26 for the 2nd semi-final against either the #3 seed, Andy Naylor, or the #6 seed, Bobby Banerjee.As I said, Countdown is off for the rest of the week, so Andy will rejoin you next Monday for the 3rd quarter-final, and I'll return for the 2 semis next Wednesday and Thursday.
So, till then, bye bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Samir:
Total score - 119
Raw score - 126
Total % of max - 83
Raw % of max - 88
Total average score per round - 7.9
Raw average score per round - 8.4
Number of maxes - 11
Priscilla:
Total score - 44
Raw score - 76
Total % of max - 31
Raw % of max - 53
Total average score per round - 2.9
Raw average score per round - 5.1
Number of maxes - 5
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70