Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 9 July 2014.
C1: Champion Tim Gregory (2 wins, 141 points.) An air cabin crew worker from Poole, Dorset.
C2: Challenger Ian Linton. An Apterite and clergyman for the Church of Ireland from Drumcliffe, County Sligo, whose church is the burial place of the great poet, W. B. Yeats. He had previously been a contestant in Series 44 in 2001, losing his only match.
DC: Susie Dent and Griff Rhys Jones.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: R N D O E U V R B
R02: T E N A D E A M E
R03: 25, 3, 1, 9, 8, 1. Target: 558.
TTT: GAINALLY - "The six geese are helping to ease your worries"
R04: S T I E V A Z R N
R05: T G S O A E D R I
R06: 2, 9, 10, 8, 6, 10. Target: 693.
R07: H X S E I O W M I
R08: E S K U R D S I L
R09: 75, 8, 9, 5, 1, 7. Target: 498.
TTT: STATEHIS - "They state his existence is questionable to say the least"
R10: R A C O F I N L E
R11: R D N I A O G J R
R12: F P I A Q E I T N
R13: Y S T A O E B D S
R14: 25, 75, 50, 100, 7, 3. Target: 297.
R15: E M M A S C H I N (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: R N D O E U V R B
Tim: ROUNDER (7)
Ian: OVERRUN (7)
DC: BURDEN (6) BOUNDER (7)
OT: BORDURE (7) OVERDUB (7) REBOUND (7) UNROBED (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)
A nice flat start to today's proceedings.
In heraldry, a BORDURE is a broad border used as a charge in a coat of arms, often as a mark of difference.
Round 2: T E N A D E A M E
Tim: MANDATE (7)
Ian: MANDATE (7)
DC: EMANATED (8) MANATEE (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 15)
Our contestants seem to be on the same MANDATE today, but DC EMANATED their way to a brilliant darrenic 8.
Round 3: 25, 3, 1, 9, 8, 1. Target: 558.
Tim: -
Ian: 559. (((8 x 3) - 1 - 1) x 25) + 9 (7)
Score: 14–21 (max 22)
Ian gets to 1 away, which is as good as it gets, so perfect play from him.
Teatime teaser: GAINALLY -> ALLAYING
Round 4: S T I E V A Z R N
Tim: vestier
Ian: VAINEST (7)
DC: ZANIEST (7)
OT: ANTSIER (7) INVERTS (7) NASTIER (7) NATIVES (7) RAVINES (7) RETAINS (7) RETINAS (7) RETSINA (7) SERVANT (7) STAINER (7) STEARIN (7) STRIVEN (7) TAVERNS (7) VERSANT (7)
Score: 14–28 (max 29)
Plenty of 7's around, but unfortunately, Tim can only find an incorrect 7, with a phantom E in it............
STEARIN is a white crystalline substance which is the main constituent of tallow and suet. It is a glyceryl ester of stearic acid.
A VERSANT is a region of land sloping in one general direction.
Round 5: T G S O A E D R I
Tim: goardiest
Ian: digestor
DC: STODGIER (8) ASTEROID (8)
OT: GODETIAS (8)
Score: 14–28 (max 37)
Oh dear, the minds seem to have forgotten Monday's show when this exact round appeared, and instead we get 2 non-words..............
Round 6: 2, 9, 10, 8, 6, 10. Target: 693.
Tim: 694.
Ian: 693. ((10 x 8) - (6 / 2)) x 9 (10)
Score: 14–38 (max 47)
Ian goes for 6 small, hoping to get an even bigger lead under his belt, and he does indeed
Griff talks about his tour and his book, Insufficiently Welsh, and another good story about him and Mel Smith. A very enjoyable guest throughout the 5 days, and I hope he will return soon.
Round 7: H X S E I O W M I
Tim: HOMIES (6)
Ian: MIXES (5)
OT: MIXIES (6)
Score: 20–38 (max 53)
Tim gets back in with his 6, but can he dent Ian any further
A MIXIE is an Indian word for an electric food mixer or blender.
Round 8: E S K U R D S I L
Tim: lurids
Ian: SKIERS (6)
DC: SULKIER (7) DUSKIER (7)
OT: DUIKERS (7) SKIRLED (7) SLIDERS (7) SUDSIER (7) SULKERS (7) SULKIES (7)
Score: 20–44 (max 60)
Ian negates Tim's previous 6 with his own 6 in this round, although there were a handful of 7's available here too..............
A DUIKER is a small African antelope that typically has a tuft of hair between the horns, found mainly in forests. Cephalophus and other genera, family Bovidae: several species, including the common duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia), which is unusual in occurring in open savannah, and the very small blue duiker (Philantomba monticola), prized for its skin.
To SKIRL is to produce a shrill, wailing sound on the bagpipes.
A SULKY (plural SULKIES) is a light two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle for one person, used chiefly in trotting races.
Round 9: 75, 8, 9, 5, 1, 7. Target: 498.
Tim: 498. Mistake in working.
Ian: 498. (75 x 7) - ((8 - 5) x 9) (10)
Score: 20–54 (max 70)
Just when it looked like Tim might be getting back in, he realises he's made a mistake in his method, and still finds himself on 20 points.
Teatime teaser: STATEHIS -> ATHEISTS
Round 10: R A C O F I N L E
Tim: FINALE (6)
Ian: CONIFER (7)
DC: CORNEA (6) FLORICAN (8)
OT: FALCONER (8) LONICERA (8)
Score: 20–61 (max 78)
Is Tim getting prepared for his FINALE, I wonder........
It's certainly going to need a miracle of epic proportions to keep him now A LONICERA is a plant of a genus which comprises the honeysuckles (Genus Lonicera, family Caprifoliaceae).
Round 11: R D N I A O G J R
Tim: GRAIN (5)
Ian: ADORING (7)
DC: ROARING (7) JARRING (7)
Score: 20–68 (max 85)
Certainly little to no help now for Tim, as Ian will probably be getting used to the ADORING public in the next days, if he keeps this scoring up.
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "gaffer".
Round 12: F P I A Q E I T N
Tim: FEAT (4)
Ian: TIEPIN (6)
OT: FINITE (6) PINETA (6)
Score: 20–74 (max 91)
And that's a nice way to win a match, with a lovely little TIEPIN. Nice work, Ian.
A PINETUM (plural PINETA) is a plantation of pine trees or other conifers planted for scientific or ornamental purposes.
Round 13: Y S T A O E B D S
Tim: BOASTS (6)
Ian: BOASTED (7)
OT: SABOTED (7)
Score: 20–81 (max 98)
Oh dear, Tim decides to stick with the safe 6, surely his dodgy 7 wasn't BOASTED
Round 14: 25, 75, 50, 100, 7, 3. Target: 297.
Tim: 297. (100 x 3) - (75 / 25) (10)
Ian: 297. (100 x 3) - (75 / 25) (10)
Score: 30–91 (max 108)
Well, at least Tim doesn't have the indignity of finishing with the lowest score for a 15-round champion (which is 29, in case you're wondering), but Ian is now on his way towards a century on his "first" attempt.
Round 15: E M M A S C H I N
No one buzzes. The answer was MECHANISM.
Final Score: 30–91 (max 118)
But, like the other 2 conundrums this week, not even a flicker of life from the contestants, so the audience gets another mug and a bit more airtime too.
Ian does manage to win with a super convincing performance, certainly the best of the series so far. Can he carry on winning a few more shows next week, I wonder
So, Countdown is now off until Monday thanks to the horse racing at Newmarket, so Andy is back with the recap on Monday, and I'll be back with a double bill next Wednesday/Thursday.
In the meantime though, I look forward to welcoming a record amount of contestants down to St. Albans for the first CoStAl this Saturday.
So, if you're coming to St. Albans, I look forward to recapping for you next week. So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Tim:
Total score - 30
Raw score - 58
Total % of max - 25
Raw % of max - 49
Total average score per round - 2.0
Raw average score per round - 3.9
Number of maxes - 3
Ian:
Total score - 91
Raw score - 96
Total % of max - 77
Raw % of max - 81
Total average score per round - 6.1
Raw average score per round - 6.4
Number of maxes - 9
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71