Wednesday 17th September 2014 (Series 71, Prelim 47)

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Giles
Series 68 Champion
Posts: 92
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 3:11 pm
Location: Farnham, Surrey

Wednesday 17th September 2014 (Series 71, Prelim 47)

Post by Giles »

Countdown recap for Wednesday 17 September 2014.

Today in 1976, the first space shuttle was unveiled by NASA, but it didn't actually go anywhere because it was a test one for astronauts before the real thing. The shuttle used to be called Constitution, before lots of people (and presumably Trekkies) pestered President Ford and got its named changed to Enterprise. And fittingly, the cast of Star Trek were there when it was shown. Nick also interviewed a woman on the radio who has bought a one-way ticket to Mars in 2018. Rachel would rather have a one-way ticket to Hawaii.

C1: Champion Paul Worsley (1 win, 103 points). A fantastic performance yesterday and his daughter Sophie appeared in Mary Poppins on the West End for more than 12 months!
C2: Challenger Colm Byrne. An accountant with three kids from County Kildare from a town/village that is unpronounceable and doesn't exist on Wikipedia so I can't find it.

DC: Susie Dent and Jenny Eclair. Jenny would like to go to space to experience weightlessness.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: C N Z E A I P D E
R02: S I L O R D U E N
R03: 50, 9, 2, 5, 3, 9. Target: 835.
TTT: ISCRAMIT - "Persian warriors used to be reliant on this."
R04: S A R L I D E R I
R05: N R G A O E L X O
R06: 25, 2, 7, 8, 8, 1. Target: 957.
R07: S D G A I E N V U
R08: S A G E W T U F T
R09: 25, 9, 3, 4, 2, 5. Target: 858.
TTT: DONBROOK - "This will let you in, and it will help you out."
R10: N A J I B R E D O
R11: Q S M A O I S T O
R12: R E P I S G A M K
R13: P T V E O U T F E
R14: 75, 5, 10, 9, 8, 8. Target: 894.
R15: F I N E S T H A M (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: C N Z E A I P D E

Paul: PAINED (6)
Colm: PAINED (6)
DC: PECAN (5) diaper*
OT: APIECE (6) DECANE (6) DECANI (6) NEAPED (6) PEINED (6) PIECED (6) ZINCED (6)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)

Jenny thought she saw an R for DIAPER but alas, no. A very flat six round. The recapper here was feeling chemical and got DECANE which is a hydrocarbon with chemical formula C10H22. To pein something is to strike it with a hammer.


Round 2: S I L O R D U E N

Paul: UNDERSOIL (18)
Colm: UNDERSOIL (18)
Score: 24–24 (max 24)

A great nine here spotted by both contestants. This game is gonna be a good'un.


Round 3: 50, 9, 2, 5, 3, 9. Target: 835.

Paul: -
Colm: 832. (9 + 3 + 5) x 50 - 9 x 2 (7)
OT: 835. ((50 x 9)/5 + 3) x 9 - 2 (10)
Score: 24–31 (max 34)

Paul can't see it, and Rachel needs extra time. Colm (or is Nick saying 'Collum'?) finds a simple way to get close but the spot on solution is quite tricky.


Teatime teaser: ISCRAMIT -> SCIMITAR


Round 4: S A R L I D E R I

Paul: LADIES (6)
Colm: RAIDERS (7)
DC: DAIRIES (7) DIARISE (7)
OT: AIRSIDE (7) DAILIES (7) DAIRIES (7) DERAILS (7) DIARIES (7) LAIRIER (7) LARDERS (7) LARDIER (7) LIAISED (7) RAILERS (7) REDIALS (7) SEDILIA (7)
Score: 24–38 (max 41)

Colm finds one of the many sevens and further extends his lead. DC get two words which are anagrams of each other.


Round 5: N R G A O E L X O

Paul: LOANER (6)
Colm: LAGOON (6)
DC: OREGANO (7)
Score: 30–44 (max 48)

Standard fare here, but we have the darrenic herb, which seems to be popping up a lot recently.


Round 6: 25, 2, 7, 8, 8, 1. Target: 957.

Paul: -
Colm: -
RR: 957. ((25 - 8) x 8 +1) x 7 (10)
Score: 30–44 (max 58)

Another tough numbers here, and Rachel manages to get it this time.


Round 7: S D G A I E N V U

Paul: GAUDIES (7)
Colm: VISAGED (7)
DC: DESIGN (6) SUNDAE (6) UNDIES (6)
OT: AGNISED (7) EVADING (7) GUINEAS (7) INVADES (7) UNSAVED (7)
Score: 37–51 (max 65)

Two nice sevens from the contestants whereas DC can only manage six. There are lots of sevens to choose from, including the new ODO addition, AGNISED.


Round 8: S A G E W T U F T

Paul: WAGES (5)
Colm: WAGES (5)
DC: ASTUTE (6)
OT: AFTEST (6) ESTUFA (6) STATUE (6)
Score: 42–56 (max 71)

A tricky round here, and Jenny blurts out enthusiastically to Paul that she got ASTUTE. Paul isn't letting Colm get too far in the lead.

Round 9: 25, 9, 3, 4, 2, 5. Target: 858.

Paul: 858. (4 x 25 - 5) x 9 + 3 (10)
Colm: 858. (4 x 9 - 2) x 25 + 5 + 3 (10)
Score: 52–66 (max 81)

What looks like a tricky round turns out to be rather soluble, with the gap remaining at 14 points.

Teatime teaser: DONBROOK -> DOORKNOB

Round 10: N A J I B R E D O

Paul: INBOARD (7)
Colm: BRAINED (7)
DC: DIBORANE (8) DEBONAIR (8)
Score: 59–73 (max 89)

Good sevens from Paul and Colm, and DC have a lovely pair of eights. DIBORANE is the simplest of the boranes and has the formula B2H6.


Round 11: Q S M A O I S T O

Paul: STOMAS (6)
Colm: moists*
DC: MASTS (5) MOIST (5)
Score: 65–73 (max 95)

Paul gets lucky here with the darrenic six, as the plural of STOMA is both the Grecian STOMATA and the anglicised STOMAS. Colm is unlucky, with MOISTENS being the word rather than MOISTS. The gap closes to 8.


Round 12: R E P I S G A M K

Paul: GARPIKES (8)
Colm: skimper*
DC: GRAMPIES (8) EPIGRAMS (8)
Score: 73–73 (max 103)

A great spot from Paul here which brings him level with Colm. DC don't notice it, but SKIMPER isn't actually in the dictionary.


Round 13: P T V E O U T F E

Paul: PUTTEE (6)
Colm: POUT (4)
DC: TOUPEE (6)
OT: FOUETTE (7)
Score: 79–73 (max 110)

Another good word from Paul puts him ahead for the first time in the game. Colm is POUTing with his word. A FOUETTE (pronounced foo-et-ay) is a leg whip in ballet.


Round 14: 75, 5, 10, 9, 8, 8. Target: 894.

Paul: 892. (8 - 5 + 9) x 75 - 8 (7)
Colm: -
OT: 894. 75 x 10 + (8 + 8) x 9 (7)
Score: 86–73 (max 117)

Paul gets close to this numbers, and so makes his lead unassailable. Well done that man for a great comeback and securing victory. Rachel needs extra time again, but we don't cut back to her, so the true solution (given by Crossword Tools and Jon Gardner on the Countdown Discussion Group is used).

Round 15: F I N E S T H A M

Paul buzzes on 29 seconds to say MINESHAFT which is correct.
Final Score: 96–73 (max 130)

A very late correct buzz from Paul nets him 10 points and he lives to fight another Countdown episode. Colm (or Collum) dwindled a bit near the end, but he definitely has potential if he decides to return in a few years. Rachel has homework to do as she missed some tough numbers today. Join someone tomorrow for a recap that's probably written!

*wave*


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71
Colm Byrne
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Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2014 5:07 pm

Re: Wednesday 17th September 2014 (Series 71, Prelim 47)

Post by Colm Byrne »

Nice recap, Giles. Just to tidy things up a bit. The unpronounceable village I live in is called Clogherinkoe (the 'g' is silent) and Collum is as phonetically close to how my name is pronounced.
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