Thursday 30th April 2020 (Series 82, Prelim 86)

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Thursday 30th April 2020 (Series 82, Prelim 86)

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Last April recap, and just 2 games left including today's before Countdown goes into Lockdown.... :( :( :( :cry: :cry: :cry:

Countdown recap for Thursday 30 April 2020.

C1: Champion David Kempshall (6 wins, 551 points.) A marketing director from Stafford.
C2: Challenger James Sealey. A apprentice electrician from Martock, Somerset. He once demolished his parent's gateposts whilst learning to drive. :oops: :oops:
DC: Susie Dent and Fern Britton.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: C M O E C S O R F
R02: M Q T I O E P W P
R03: 100, 7, 8, 1, 10, 7. Target: 563.
TTT: HOTSTANCE - "Have a conversation with Keith Richards about a bird, perhaps?"
R04: A U E Y V S O D W
R05: N I M E H R A L O
R06: 25, 7, 7, 8, 9, 4. Target: 515.
R07: D E N E B A R P T
R08: S B R I E O T M U
R09: 75, 4, 5, 1, 2, 6. Target: 277.
TTT: METALBITE - "The pupil didn't know to go next, it lost this."
R10: R S E I A C R E D
R11: H N A E R Y A T S
R12: R G N E I O C L A
R13: S G U E L T I D Z
R14: 75, 50, 8, 1, 9, 1. Target: 696.
R15: D R O O P G L E N (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: C M O E C S O R F

David: FORMS (5)
James: FORCES (6)
DC: MOROSE (6) COMERS (6)
OT: ROMESCO (7)
Score: 0–6 (max 7)

An early lead for James, as the FORCES are with him early doors.... :P :P

In Spanish cooking, ROMESCO is a piquant sauce of red peppers, nuts, garlic, and olive oil.

Round 2: M Q T I O E P W P

David: WIPE (4)
James: TEMPO (5)
DC: POET (4) MOPPET (6) MOPPIE (6)
OT: OPTIME (6) TOPPIE (6)
Score: 0–11 (max 13)

What's up with David today...., he's not getting in early doors.... :roll: :roll: :roll:

An OPTIME is a person placed in the second or third class in the Mathematical Tripos at Cambridge University (called respectively senior and junior optimes), or (in extended use) in any other subject; a degree in such a class.
A TOPPIE is an African bulbul (songbird) with a black or dark brown head and crest.

Round 3: 100, 7, 8, 1, 10, 7. Target: 563.

David: 562. Mistake in working.
James: 563. Mistake in working.
RR: 563. (((8 x 7) + 1) x 10) - 7 (10)
Score: 0–11 (max 23)

Oh dear, oh dear, let's get this numbers game forgotten ASAP.... :oops: :oops: :oops:

Teatime teaser: HOTSTANCE -> STONECHAT

Round 4: A U E Y V S O D W

David: AVOWED (6)
James: SUAVE (5)
DC: SWAYED (6)
OT: VADOSE (6)
Score: 6–11 (max 29)

David gets off the mark with a 6, but the letters aren't brilliant so far today....

VADOSE is an adjective relating to or denoting underground water above the water table.

Round 5: N I M E H R A L O

David: MORALE (6)
James: LOAMIER (7)
DC: MANHOLE (7) RAILMEN (7) HOMARINE (8)
Score: 6–18 (max 37)

David's MORALE is clearly low, and James is taking full advantage, whilst DC find a super impressive 8 :!: :!: 8-) 8-)

Round 6: 25, 7, 7, 8, 9, 4. Target: 515.

David: 515. ((7 + 9 + 4) x 25) + 8 + 7 (10)
James: 525.
Score: 16–18 (max 47)

Well, David's numbers are back to normal, and this first phase ends with some very low scores indeed....

Fern talks about how she became the host of Ready, Steady, Cook.

Round 7: D E N E B A R P T

David: BANTERED (8)
James: prebate
DC: BERATED (7)
OT: PARENTED (8)
Score: 24–18 (max 55)

David now takes the lead, even beating DC with his 8 :!: :!:

Round 8: S B R I E O T M U

David: rebouts
James: TIMBERS (7)
DC: MOISTURE (8) RESUBMIT (8)
OT: MISROUTE (8)
Score: 24–25 (max 63)

And just like that, James retakes the lead, as David's rebouts isn't up to much... :roll: :roll:

Round 9: 75, 4, 5, 1, 2, 6. Target: 277.

David: 277. ((75 - 5) x 4) - (1 + 2) (10)
James: 273.
Score: 34–25 (max 73)

The numbers are certainly being David's secret weapon today, as he wrestles the lead back.

Teatime teaser: METALBITE -> TIMETABLE

Round 10: R S E I A C R E D

David: CARRIES (7)
James: SCARRED (7)
DC: RAISED (6) SIDECAR (7) DECRIERS (8)
OT: DESCRIER (8)
Score: 41–32 (max 81)

A nice 8 from DC here, I personally thought scaredier was good, but only scaredy-cat is in the dictionary.... :P :P But, our players are happy to stick with 7 here. 8-)

A DESCRIER is a person who or thing which discovers, detects, or reveals something or someone.

Round 11: H N A E R Y A T S

David: HEARTS (6)
James: SHANTY (6)
DC: STAYER (6) ANTHERS (7) HEARSAY (7)
OT: ASHTRAY (7) HASTARY (7) HYAENAS (7) RHATANY (7) SHAYTAN (7) YANTRAS (7)
Score: 47–38 (max 88)

7's all over the place, but this time 6 will do for our players.

RHATANY is an astringent extract of the root of a South American shrub, used in medicine.
A SHAYTAN (or SHAITAN) is an evilly disposed, vicious, or cunning person or animal or in Muslim countries, the Devil or an evil spirit.
A YANTRA is a geometrical diagram, or any object, used as an aid to meditation in tantric worship.

Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "zephyr".

Round 12: R G N E I O C L A

David: relacing
James: CLEARING (8)
DC: REGIONAL (8) RECOALING (18)
Score: 47–46 (max 106)

Oooooooh, James shrinks the gap to 1, as David can't do his relacing, but DC can do some RECOALING for 9 :!: :!:

Round 13: S G U E L T I D Z

David: SUITED (6)
James: GUILTED (7)
DC: GUIDES (6) guiles GLITZED (7) UGLIEST (7)
OT: DILUTES (7) DUGITES (7) GLITZES (7) GLUIEST (7)
Score: 47–53 (max 113)

Woah! WOAH!! WOAH!!! James now takes the lead again!!! This has certainly been a real see-saw match, and is a massive shock on the cards here.... :? :? :?

A DUGITE is a highly venomous snake found in south-western Australia, similar to the related brown snakes.

Round 14: 75, 50, 8, 1, 9, 1. Target: 696.

David: 693. (75 + 1 + 1) x 9 (7)
James: 691.
RR: 696. (75 + 50 - 9) x (8 - 1 - 1) (10)
Score: 54–53 (max 123)

Well, the numbers has not been James' friend, and it's proved to be so once again, as David retakes the lead by a single point, as we head into a CRUCIAL CONUNDRUM :!: :!: :!:

Round 15: D R O O P G L E N

David buzzes on 2.25 seconds to say PROLONGED which is correct.
Final Score: 64–53 (max 133)

His conundrum solving has been pretty solid, and under so much pressure, he's proved it once again, as David wins the game after being in lots of trouble throughout :!: :!: :!: 8-) 8-) 8-)

He has his 7th win, and as we head into the final game before lockdown, he's now on course to become octochamp #5, but barring a mega miracle win with a score of over 175 points, it's very likely, that David will be staying in the #5 spot, come what may.

And speaking of May, join me on May Day, to see if he can do it. ;) :) :D :mrgreen: 8-)

Statistics Corner

David:
Total score - 64
Raw score - 85
Total % of max - 48
Raw % of max - 64
Total average score per round - 4.3
Raw average score per round - 5.7
Number of maxes - 5

James:
Total score - 53
Raw score - 77
Total % of max - 40
Raw % of max - 58
Total average score per round - 3.7
Raw average score per round - 5.1
Number of maxes - 1

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=82
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