Tuesday 4th March, 2008 (Game 45, Series 58)

[David O'Donnell]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 4th March 2008.

C1: Champion Barry Smith (3 wins, 238 points.)
C2: Challenger Mary Ridout. (Has been married for 47 years so Ridout by name and ... actually, I am better than that).
DC: Susie Dent and Rick Wakeman.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: M S G E A I D R T
R02: Z L S E A B O L E
R03: T S T I A E D W R
R04: T J S U I E M G L
R05: 25, 2, 9, 4, 10, 7. Target: 639.
TTT: NEATHELP - "You won't find one of these near a computer"
R06: P H T I A I E K N
R07: T R D O A E X R F
R08: N N R I E E S P F
R09: A E M V C O O N R
R10: 75, 6, 1, 6, 1, 10. Target: 126.
TTT: CEDARASH - "I'll give you a clue, two syllables"
R11: N T E S R I D H E
R12: N S T A O O C L E
R13: Y A B N M I A O T
R14: 100, 2, 10, 4, 8, 5. Target: 435.
R15: T A L C Y P A I R (conundrum)


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Apologies for the delay on this recap. My computer has had a monumental failure recently and everything got wiped. This means that the historical recaps, I was working on, will be delayed too - sorry, Charlie.


Round 1: M S G E A I D R T
C1: MIGRATED (8)
C2: MIRAGES (7)
DC: MIGRATES (8) MAGISTER (8)
OT: STERIGMA (8) RAGTIMES (8) MARDIEST (8) READMITS (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)

Round 2: Z L S E A B O L E
C1: BLAZES (6)
C2: BLAZES (6)
DC: LABELS (6)
OT: Quite a few sixes so I did really well not to spot any of them. No LOSABLE^ I am afraid.
Score: 14–6 (max 14)

Round 3: T S T I A E D W R
C1: WAITERS (7)
C2: WAISTED (7)
DC: WARTIEST (8)
OT: TAWDRIEST (18) (Joseph and quite a few of us I'd imagine)
Score: 21–13 (max 32)

Round 4: T J S U I E M G L
C1: SUITE (5)
C2: JILTS (5)
DC: UGLIEST (7) GIMLETS (7)
OT: That's the only two.
Score: 26–18 (max 39)

Round 5: 25, 2, 9, 4, 10, 7. Target: 639.
C1: -
C2: -
CV: 639. (7*9-2)*10+25+4 (10) LATE!
Score: 26–18 (max 49)

Here is the roll of honour for all of those who got it in the time (and posted):

Craig Beevers and 'Magic' George:

[(25*4)-10]*7+9

Kevin Thurlow:

(2*10+7)*25-(9*4)

James Hurrell:

(9*2+7)*25+10+4

Me:

(25*4-9)*7+2


Teatime teaser: NEATHELP -> ELEPHANT

Round 6: P H T I A I E K N
C1: INTAKE (6)
C2: TAKEN (5)
DC: HATPIN (6)
OT: KAINITE (7) (Dinos, a surprising miss given that the similar sounding kyanite came up the day previously).
Score: 32–18 (max 56)

Round 7: T R D O A E X R F
C1: RAFTED (6)
C2: ORATED (6)
DC: Not asked.
OT: I would have risked REDRAFT (7) and DRAFTER (7) but I can understand why the contestants wouldn't risk them.
Score: 38–24 (max 63)

Round 8: N N R I E E S P F
C1: SPINNER (7)
C2: SPINNER (7)
DC: SINNER (6) REFINES (7) PENNIES (7)
OT: PERFINS (7) REPINES (7)
Score: 45–31 (max 70)

A PERFIN is a postage stamp that is imprinted with the insignia of an organisation to prevent misuse.

Round 9: A E M V C O O N R
C1: OVERMAN (7)
C2: mooner (Susie explains that we don't moon enough to warrant this agent noun's inclusion. Doesn't she realise that she is broadcasting this message to an audience whose demographic has a high proportion of students?)
DC: ROMANCE (7)
OT: CORONAE (7)
Score: 52–31 (max 77)

Round 10: 75, 6, 1, 6, 1, 10. Target: 126.
C1: 126.(75+1)+[(6-1)*10] (10)
C2: 127.
Score: 62–31 (max 87)

Teatime teaser: CEDARASH -> CHARADES

Round 11: N T E S R I D H E
C1: intered
C2: resident (Valid but declared it as a 7).
DC: RESIDENT (8)
OT: INSERTED (8) NERDIEST (8) TRENDIES (8) SINTERED (8) (Dinos)
Score: 62–31 (max 95)

Round 12: N S T A O O C L E
C1: LOCATES (7)
C2: COOLANTS (8) (Quality spot)
DC: COOLEST (7) OCELOTS (7)
OT: LACTONES (8) ECOTONAL (8)
Score: 62–39 (max 103)

Round 13: Y A B N M I A O T
C1: BOATMAN (7)
C2: MAIN (4)
DC: BOTANY (6) ANATOMY (7)
OT: ANIMATO (7) AMBOYNA (7)
Score: 69–39 (max 110)

ANIMATO is a musical direction meaning to be played in a lively manner; AMBOYNA is the wood of the SE Asian tree, Pterocarpus indicus.

Round 14: 100, 2, 10, 4, 8, 5. Target: 435.
C1: 435.Same method (10)
C2: 435.(100+10)*4-5 (10)
Score: 79–49 (max 120)

Round 15: T A L C Y P A I R
C2 buzzes on 5 seconds to say PRACTICALY which is incorrect.
C1 does not buzz. No-one in the audience has it. I dare say quite a few of you got it but I was nowhere near it either.
The answer was PARALYTIC.
Score: 79–49 (max 130)


Barry's fourth win was a fairly comfortable affair but for how long can he survive? I am going to make a bold prediciton here: I reckon he'll be denied the title of octochamp on a crucial conundrum that contains two Ks... and someone living in Ipswich will be lucky tooooooooooooooo.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.thecountdowncorral.com/cd/se ... ?series=58