Countdown recap for Friday 10 April 2020.
C1: Champion Declan Yeomans-Hill (1 win, 74 points.) A trainee teaching assistant from Grantham, Lincolnshire.
C2: Challenger Jane Holt. A woman from Nailsea, Somerset. She loves country music, and has been to Nashville 5 times, including to the Grand Ole Opry twice. Her favourite country musician is Garth Brooks.
DC: Susie Dent and Al Murray, sporting a retro Channel 4 logo shirt.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: O E A B L S T U N
R02: R T G I E O F D A
R03: 50, 100, 1, 10, 2, 6. Target: 269.
TTT: ELDERLYTO - "The elderly couple went to the pub and came back in this shameful state."
R04: R T C E U I H R A
R05: E U E A S L F N D
R06: 100, 10, 6, 2, 6, 5. Target: 240.
R07: E O I O S N G D R
R08: C T L A U I M R E
R09: 100, 50, 1, 8, 2, 3. Target: 603.
TTT: POUNDGREW - "As a tradition, we won't lose the plot in November."
R10: N V Y O A E M T I
R11: E O I A H P W R M
R12: P T R O I U S D I
R13: E I A R C N Z S E
R14: 100, 5, 1, 4, 8, 10. Target: 363.
R15: P A I L B L U E S (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: O E A B L S T U N
Declan: BLUNTS (6)
Jane: UNSTABLE (8)
DC: OBLAST (6) ABSOLUTE (8)
OT: ABLUENTS (8) NEOBLAST (8) NOTABLES (8)
Score: 0–8 (max 8)
A great start by Jane with a great 8.
An ABLUENT is a medicine or other agent used to cleanse the body.
A NEOBLAST is a crystalline grain in a rock, especially a metamorphic rock, that is of more recent formation than other grains in the rock.
Round 2: R T G I E O F D A
Declan: GRAFTED (7)
Jane: FRIGATE (7)
DC: FORAGED (7) FIREDOG (7)
OT: GOATIER (7) GODETIA (7) GOITRED (7) GORDITA (7) GRIFTED (7) RATIOED (7) TRIAGED (7)
Score: 7–15 (max 15)
7's aplenty here...
GOATIER is an adjective meaning reminiscent of or like a goat or goats.
In Mexican cooking, a GORDITA is a thick pancake made from maize flour, typically split and filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables.
Round 3: 50, 100, 1, 10, 2, 6. Target: 269.
Declan: 269. ((100 + 10) x 2) + 50 - 1 (10)
Jane: 266.
Score: 17–15 (max 25)
And a quick change of lead as Declan's 2 large solution gives him the lead.
Teatime teaser: ELDERLYTO -> TROLLEYED
Round 4: R T C E U I H R A
Declan: CHARTER (7)
Jane: CHARTER (7)
DC: HAIRCUT (7) RECRUIT (7)
OT: CHARIER (7) ERRATIC (7) HURTIER (7) THERIAC (7) TRACEUR (7) URETHRA (7)
Score: 24–22 (max 32)
A couple of CHARTERs, but nothing more impressive than that...
THERIAC is an ointment or other medicinal compound used as an antidote to snake venom or other poison.
A TRACEUR is a person who takes part in the activity of parkour or free running.
Round 5: E U E A S L F N D
Declan: UNSEALED (8)
Jane: FEUDS (5)
DC: FLENSED (7)
OT: FLANEUSE (8) UNLEAFED (8) UNLEASED (8)
Score: 32–22 (max 40)
His lips definitely were UNSEALED here, and Declan now increases his lead into double figures.
A FLÂNEUSE is a woman who saunters around observing life and society; a leisurely woman about town.
Round 6: 100, 10, 6, 2, 6, 5. Target: 240.
Declan: 240. (5 x 6) + 10 + (2 x 100) (10)
Jane: 240. ((5 x 2) - 6) x 6 x 10 (10)
Score: 42–32 (max 50)
Plenty of methods for this one.
Al talks about his drum-making company based in Stockport.
Round 7: E O I O S N G D R
Declan: GOODIES (7)
Jane: SINGED (6)
DC: DRONGOES (8)
OT: RODEOING (8)
Score: 49–32 (max 58)
Declan is certainly receiving loads of GOODIES today.
Round 8: C T L A U I M R E
Declan: RECLAIM (7)
Jane: RECLAIM (7)
DC: CLIMATE (7) MIRACLE (7) AURICLE (7) METRICAL (8)
OT: CLIMATURE (18) MACLURITE (18)
Score: 56–39 (max 76)
Both players start to RECLAIM, but everyone misses the 9's available
CLIMATURE is the characteristic weather conditions of a country or region.
MACLURITE (or MACLUREITE) is another term for both chondrodite and augite.
Round 9: 100, 50, 1, 8, 2, 3. Target: 603.
Declan: 603. ((8 - 2) x 100) + 3 (10)
Jane: 603. ((8 - 2) x 100) + 3 (10)
Score: 66–49 (max 86)
NEXT...
Teatime teaser: POUNDGREW -> GUNPOWDER
Round 10: N V Y O A E M T I
Declan: MOTIVE (6)
Jane: ENVOY (5)
DC: VOMIT (5) AMNIOTE (7)
OT: AMENITY (7) ANYTIME (7) NAIVETY (7) OMNEITY (7)
Score: 72–49 (max 93)
Declan's MOTIVE is clear, he wants to win, and is getting closer and closer to the finish line.
OMNEITY is the fact or condition of being all, specifically as an attribute of God. Occasionally, God as an all-encompassing being.
Round 11: E O I A H P W R M
Declan: POWER (5)
Jane: misdeclared 5
DC: MOHAIR (6) HAMPER (6) PHWOAR (6)
OT: EMPORIA (7) MORPHEA (7) MORPHEW (7) MORPHIA (7) WHIMPER (7)
Score: 77–49 (max 100)
Oh dear, it's not Jane's day today...
MORPHEA (or MORPHOEA) is specifically a form of scleroderma characterized by localized or circumscribed skin lesions; frequently with distinguishing word indicating the distribution or shape of lesions.
MORPHEW is any of various skin diseases characterized by localized or generalized discoloration of the skin.
MORPHIA is an old-fashioned term for morphine.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the "@ sign".
Round 12: P T R O I U S D I
Declan: SPROUT (6)
Jane: SPORT (5)
DC: SPIRIT (6) TRIPODS (7) DISRUPT (7) PRUDIST (7)
OT: DISPORT (7) IDIOPTS (7) PITURIS (7) PORTUIS (7) PROTIDS (7)
Score: 83–49 (max 107)
Declan's nearly over the line now...
To DISPORT is to enjoy oneself unrestrainedly.
An IDIOPT is a person who is colour-blind.
PITURI is the prepared leaves of a Central Australian shrub, Duboisia hopwoodii (family Solanaceae), containing nornicotine and traditionally chewed by Aborigines as a stimulant or crushed and placed in waterholes to stun food animals.
A PORTUIS (or PORTEOUS or PORTAS) is a portable breviary, or in Scots law is a list of the names of indicted offenders prepared by the Justice Clerk.
A PROTID (or PROTIDE) is a protein, a peptide, an amino acid.
Round 13: E I A R C N Z S E
Declan: CRAZIES (7)
Jane: SEANCE (6)
DC: INCREASE (8) SCENARIZE (18)
Score: 90–49 (max 125)
Game wrapped up by Declan, but DC get the chance to show off a brilliant 9 that they've found.
Round 14: 100, 5, 1, 4, 8, 10. Target: 363.
Declan: 363. ((100 - 10) x 4) + 8 - 5 (10)
Jane: 361.
Score: 100–49 (max 135)
TON UP for Declan.
Round 15: P A I L B L U E S
No one buzzes. The answer was PLAUSIBLE.
Final Score: 100–49 (max 145)
Complete blank from both players in the conundrum, leaving the audience to solve it, but Declan performed brilliantly today, and deserves to return on Bank Holiday Monday to try and make it 3/3.
Statistics Corner
Declan:
Total score - 100
Raw score - 106
Total % of max - 69
Raw % of max - 73
Total average score per round - 6.7
Raw average score per round - 7.1
Number of maxes - 7
Jane:
Total score - 49
Raw score - 90
Total % of max - 34
Raw % of max - 62
Total average score per round - 3.3
Raw average score per round - 6.0
Number of maxes - 5
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=82