Countdown recap for Thursday 9 April 2020.
C1: Champion Danny McMackin (3 wins, 259 points.) A solutions consultant from Dublin.
C2: Challenger Declan Yeomans-Hill. A trainee teaching assistant from Grantham, Lincolnshire. He likes wheelchair tennis, which he likes as he used to have use be in a wheelchair for 6 months.
DC: Susie Dent and Al Murray.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: E A I M T S R O N
R02: E A U L Z R C E P
R03: 1, 8, 3, 6, 2, 7. Target: 912.
TTT: FICKLEASH - "Practical methods and common sense in the modern-day vernacular."
R04: T S G I O I E N R
R05: U O A J P R T I C
R06: 50, 100, 1, 10, 9, 2. Target: 954.
R07: A E U R W P L H E
R08: I O A Y M S R U N
R09: 1, 7, 2, 9, 6, 3. Target: 525.
TTT: DINEFRUIT - "She would dine on fruit for most of the day, and felt this way at bedtime."
R10: D N X I E I O N R
R11: U A I G H Y F D E
R12: O A E S T D S O N
R13: A E I W C S M D R
R14: 25, 50, 3, 2, 7, 1. Target: 657.
R15: M A D E A P U T T (conundrum)
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Round 1: E A I M T S R O N
Danny: AMORTISE (8)
Declan: REMAINS (7)
DC: MATRONISE (18)
OT: RANSOMITE (18) ROMANITES (18)
Score: 8–0 (max 18)
For the 3rd day in a row, Danny leads from the off, but there are some relatively recent 9's up for grabs here...
A ROMANITE (or RUMANITE or ROUMANITE) is a variety of amber found in Romania and containing sulphur and succinic acid.
Round 2: E A U L Z R C E P
Danny: LEAPER (6)
Declan: uplacer
DC: REPLACE (7)
OT: PERCALE (7) PLEURAE (7)
Score: 14–0 (max 25)
Dodgy 7 offering there from Declan, as Danny pulls further ahead here...
PERCALE is closely woven fine cotton fabric.
A PLEURA (pluaral PLEURAE) is each of a pair of serous membranes lining the thorax and enveloping the lungs in humans and other mammals.
Round 3: 1, 8, 3, 6, 2, 7. Target: 912.
Danny: -
Declan: -
RR: 912. ((3 x 7) - 2) x 8 x 6 (10)
Score: 14–0 (max 35)
Yet again, another 6 small blank from Danny (but luckily, so does Declan)...
Teatime teaser: FICKLEASH -> LIFEHACKS
Round 4: T S G I O I E N R
Danny: RESTING (7)
Declan: STINGIER (8)
DC: RESITING (8)
OT: GINORITES (18) SORTIEING (18)
Score: 14–8 (max 53)
Declan into the game with a STINGIER 8, but there are some trickier 9's hidden beneath...
A GINORITE is a rare mineral consisting of a hydrated calcium borate, typically occurring as a surface deposit of white platy crystals.
Round 5: U O A J P R T I C
Danny: RATIO (5)
Declan: COURT (5)
DC: TROPIC (6) AORTIC (6) APRICOT (7)
OT: PAROTIC (7) PATRICO (7)
Score: 19–13 (max 60)
DC find the sweet, sweet APRICOT hidden inside.
PAROTIC is an adjective meaning situated beside or near the ear.
A PATRICO is a slang term for a priest, a preacher; especially an uneducated or vagabond priest; a hedge-priest.
Round 6: 50, 100, 1, 10, 9, 2. Target: 954.
Danny: 953.
Declan: 954. (9 x 100) + 50 + (10 / 2) - 1 (10)
Score: 19–23 (max 70)
Declan sneaks into the lead with a perfect solve of this 2 large offering.
Al talks about an interesting story he received about the Battle of Arnhem thanks to his podcast.
Round 7: A E U R W P L H E
Danny: REPEAL (6)
Declan: HELPER (6)
DC: WHELP (5) whelper
OT: PLEURAE (7) REWHELP (7)
Score: 25–29 (max 77)
PLEURAE makes a 2nd non-appearance of the day. Interesting that Declan asked about whelper, but no-one realised that REWHELP was actually in...
To REWHELP is to bring forth (young) again.
Round 8: I O A Y M S R U N
Danny: RAINS (5)
Declan: MORAYS (6)
DC: MASONRY (7) MAINOURS (8)
OT: ARSONIUM (8)
Score: 25–35 (max 85)
Something slightly fishy about Declan's offering, but it increases his lead to 10.
Round 9: 1, 7, 2, 9, 6, 3. Target: 525.
Danny: 521. (((9 x 6) - 2) x (7 + 3)) + 1 (7)
Declan: 521. (((9 x 6) - 2) x (7 + 3)) + 1 (7)
RR: 525. (((2 + 6) x 9) + 3) x 7 (10)
Score: 32–42 (max 95)
Danny remains stubborn as ever with 6 small, and yet again, it doesn't improve his position...
Teatime teaser: DINEFRUIT -> NUTRIFIED
Round 10: D N X I E I O N R
Danny: IRONED (6)
Declan: DINNER (6)
DC: DIOXIN (6)
OT: DINERO (6) DONNER (6) ENDRIN (6) IODINE (6) OREXIN (6)
Score: 38–48 (max 101)
Well, I'm not sure if I want my dinner IRONED, but there you go...
In South Africa, to DONNER is to beat up or thrash someone, or to defeat an opponent utterly.
ENDRIN is a toxic insecticide which is a stereoisomer of dieldrin.
Round 11: U A I G H Y F D E
Danny: HEADY (5)
Declan: FUDGE (5)
DC: DEIFY (5) GAUDY (5)
OT: ADIEU (5) AGUED (5) AGUEY (5) EDIFY (5) FADGE (5) FAUGH (5) FEDAI (5) GUIDE (5) GUYED (5) HAYED (5) HEIAU (5)
Score: 43–53 (max 106)
Fives everywhere you look here, and Declan's lead remains at double 5...
AGUED is an adjective derived from AGUE, malaria or another illness involving fever and shivering, or a fever or shivering fit.
In Northern Ireland, FADGE is bread made with potatoes, flour, and butter formed into scones.
FAUGH is an exclamation meaning expressing disgust.
Originally a FEDAI was an Ismaili Muslim assassin, but it later meant a dedicated killer in the same tradition or a member of the fedayeen.
A HEIAU is an ancient Hawaiian temple or sacred site.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "white lies" and "fibs".
Round 12: O A E S T D S O N
Danny: TOSSED (6)
Declan: DONATES (7)
DC: ODONATES (8)
OT: ONSTEADS (8)
Score: 43–60 (max 114)
Declan can probably be forgiven for missing the O before DONATES, but he won't care, as he's putting himself into a winning position...
An ONSTEAD (or ONSTEED, ONESTEEAD or ONSTEEAD) is the farmhouse and other buildings belonging to a farm; a farmstead. Also, specifically the outbuildings on a farm, as distinct from the farmhouse, or the farmhouse, as distinct from the outbuildings.
Round 13: A E I W C S M D R
Danny: MISREAD (7)
Declan: MARDIES (7)
OT: ADMIRES (7) CARDIES (7) DECIMAS (7) MEDRICS (7) MIDEARS (7) MISDRAW (7) MISDREW (7) RADICES (7) SIDEARM (7) SIDECAR (7) SWARMED (7)
Score: 50–67 (max 121)
A DECIMA is the tenth part; specifically a tax of one tenth, a tithe, or in Spanish poetry, it's a stanza or verse of ten lines, usually performed as a song, or an organ-stop sounding a tenth above the normal or 8-feet pitch; also called double-tierce or great-tierce.
A MEDRIC (or MEDRICK) is the common tern, Sterna hirundo.
As a form of address, MIDEAR is an alternative to "my dear".
Round 14: 25, 50, 3, 2, 7, 1. Target: 657.
Danny: 650.
Declan: 653. (((2 x 7) - 1) x 50) + 3 (7)
RR: 657. (((25 + 1) / 2) x 50) + 7 (10)
Score: 50–74 (max 131)
And there it is, Declan's 4 away is good enough to seal the deal, and end Danny's run.
Round 15: M A D E A P U T T
Danny buzzes on 24.25 seconds to say AMPUTATED which is correct.
Final Score: 60–74 (max 141)
A late bonus for Danny, who definitely should've got rid of his 6 small tactics, but there you go. Declan is the new champion, and he'll be back tomorrow to try and make it 2/2.
Statistics Corner
Danny:
Total score - 60
Raw score - 90
Total % of max - 43
Raw % of max - 64
Total average score per round - 4.0
Raw average score per round - 6.0
Number of maxes - 4
Declan:
Total score - 74
Raw score - 81
Total % of max - 52
Raw % of max - 57
Total average score per round - 4.9
Raw average score per round - 5.4
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=82