Friday 11th December 2009 (Series 61, QF2)

[Phil Reynolds]

Countdown recap for Friday 11 December 2009.

C1: Number 7 seed Steve Wood (8 wins, 675 points.)
C2: Number 2 seed Chris Davies (8 wins, 892 points.)
DC: Susie Dent and Dr Phil Hammond.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Steve, from Woking, is a graduate of Manchester University and is applying for jobs in marketing. Chris is a charity shop volunteer from Wirral, Merseyside, whose record for solving Rubik's Cube is "somewhere around the 11- or 12-second region". With a pretty hefty points difference between the players at the top of the leader board and those at the bottom, I think it's fair to say that most keen followers of the series are not expecting a major upset in any of the first three quarter-finals. Yesterday's opening tie certainly went to form - let's see what Steve can do today.

R01: R L S E O E N L U
R02: I E D T D L O T N
R03: W E A O M C R I Y
R04: R M D A S I E N O
R05: 100, 50, 7, 10, 3, 8. Target: 573.
TTT: COOKACOP - "Change one letter, and the dog becomes a bird"
R06: J B U F S E E N D
R07: T S A O U R T O X
R08: D R P E L O A S I
R09: T A A T E I H R N
R10: 25, 2, 1, 5, 6, 3. Target: 144.
TTT: IGETCOAT - "Think deeply about visiting the art gallery"
R11: W I F S P E E I P
R12: M R A O L T A E Y
R13: O B M A L N C P U
R14: 75, 10, 8, 5, 6, 6. Target: 174.
R15: R E A D L A B E L (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: R L S E O E N L U

C1: SULLEN (6)
C2: RELLENOS (8)
Score: 0–8 (max 8)

A superb spot from Chris astounds Dictionary Corner and sets the bar for this game right from the opening round. RELLENOS are Mexican stuffed chilli peppers.

Round 2: I E D T D L O T N

C1: TOILED (6)
C2: DELTOID (7)
DC: LENTOID (7) DOTTLE (6)
Score: 0–15 (max 15)

Chris and DC mop up the available 7s, and Susie also introduces us to one of those lovely, Call My Bluff-y words you'd never have thought there was a need for: a DOTTLE is a remnant of tobacco left in a pipe after smoking.

Round 3: W E A O M C R I Y

C1: WEARY (5)
C2: MOIRE (5)
DC: CREAMY (6)
OT: COWRIE (6)
Score: 5–20 (max 21)

Surprisingly perhaps, both players miss a rather obvious 6 and Chris is no longer on for a max game. Ah well.

Round 4: R M D A S I E N O

C1: diamonds
C2: RANDOMISE (18)
DC: ROMANISED (18)
Score: 5–38 (max 39)

Steve's losing 8 turns out to be invalid anyway as he'd seen a phantom D.

Round 5: 100, 50, 7, 10, 3, 8. Target: 573.

C1: 570.
C2: 573. (50 + 7) x 10 + 3 (10)
Score: 5–48 (max 49)

Steve kicks himself for not spotting the simple route to the target. His words in the first three rounds - SULLEN, TOILED and WEARY - sum up how he must be feeling at this point, going into the first break 43 points down.

Dr Phil talks about embarrassing himself on the dance floor of a trendy nightclub in Sydney, a tale with a deceptively wise moral, namely: if you're embarrassed about something, talking about it allows you to put the embarrassment behind you so you can move on and focus on actually dealing with the situation instead. He puts in a plug for this site which (surprise, surprise) it turns out he's an advisor for.

Teatime teaser: COOKACOP -> COCKAPOO

A COCKAPOO is one of these trendy neologisms (like "labradoodle") for a hybrid dog breed, in this case a cross between an American cocker spaniel and a poodle. Jeff naughtily remarks that a friend of his has just bred a bulldog with a Shitzu, which renders everyone momentarily speechless and even gets a smile from Chris.

Round 6: J B U F S E E N D

C1: DEFUSE (6)
C2: ENSUED (6)
DC: SUNBED (6)
OT: ENDUES (6)
Score: 11–54 (max 55)

Round 7: T S A O U R T O X

C1: TROUTS (6)
C2: outsoar
DC: STORAX (6)
OT: OUTROS (6) OUTSAT (6) SOUTAR (6) STATOR (6) SURTAX (6) TUTORS (6)
Score: 17–54 (max 61)

Chris risks a non-existent 7 and fails to score for the first time in the game. STORAX is a kind of fragrant gum resin.

Round 8: D R P E L O A S I

C1: POLARISED (18)
C2: POLARISED (18)
Score: 35–72 (max 79)

This time both contestants spot the 9, which must be a welcome boost to Steve's confidence.

Round 9: T A A T E I H R N

C1: THREAT (6)
C2: NITRATE (7)
DC: REATTAIN (8)
Score: 35–79 (max 87)

A good 7 from Chris but DC spot the darren 8.

Susie finishes off the week's Origins of Words with more place names.

Round 10: 25, 2, 1, 5, 6, 3. Target: 144.

C1: 144. 25 x 6 - 3 x 2 (10)
C2: 144. (25 - 1) x 6 (10)
Score: 45–89 (max 97)

Teatime teaser: IGETCOAT -> COGITATE

Round 11: W I F S P E E I P

C1: PEEPS (5)
C2: WIFIES (6)
Score: 45–95 (max 103)

Perhaps surprisingly from this selection, the darren is a mere 6 which Chris does well to get. Susie tells us that WIFIE with this spelling (as opposed to WIFEY) is not a derogatory term for one's wife, but a Scottish dialect word for a woman.

Round 12: M R A O L T A E Y

C1: MALTER (6) (I'm not certain whether Steve said "malter" or "molter", and Susie allows it without asking him to clarify, but in fact neither would have been valid according to Lexplorer.)
C2: MAYORAL (7)
OT: ALEATORY (8)
Score: 45–102 (max 111)

Another terrific spot by Chris, although there was an 8: ALEATORY sounds like a medical term, but is actually an adjective meaning "dependent on chance", and can also refer to a style of music involving elements of random choice.

Round 13: O B M A L N C P U

C1: COLUMN (6)
C2: CUPOLA (6)
DC: CLUBMAN (7)
OT: UMBONAL (7) UNCLAMP (7)
Score: 51–108 (max 118)

Round 14: 75, 10, 8, 5, 6, 6. Target: 174.

C1: 174. (10 - 8) x 75 + 6 x 5 - 6 (10)
C2: 174. Mistake in working.
Score: 61–108 (max 128)

Chris clearly hasn't got the target within the time but tries to busk the solution and goes adrift. However, it's all academic now as the game is his.

Round 15: R E A D L A B E L

C1 buzzes on 10 seconds to say RELABELLED which is incorrect.
C2 does not buzz.
The answer was BALLADEER.
Score: 61–108 (max 138)

For the second time recently, the audience member given the honour of answering the conundrum is none other than hunky jobseeker Kirk Bevins; during his close-up, we're treated to the unedifying sight of number 1 seed Andrew Hulme chewing gum with his mouth open. Hope it put no one off their tea.

So, there you have it: the two top seeds safely through to next week's semis, and the last recap from me for this series, this year, and this life. Hope some of you at least have enjoyed reading them. Nadolig llawen, a hwyl fawr i chi gyd.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61

[Charlie Reams]

hunky jobseeker Kirk Bevins

(Yes I know these posts are contentless but I feel someone must publicly appreciate a gag.)

[Phil Reynolds]

hunky jobseeker Kirk Bevins

(Yes I know these posts are contentless but I feel someone must publicly appreciate a gag.)

Which of those four words did you think was a gag?

[Charlie Reams]

Which of those four words did you think was a gag?

The "hunky" bit made me gag.

[Phil Reynolds]

The "hunky" bit made me gag.

Ah. You mean like in choke, not like in joke.

[Marc Meakin]

Happy Christmas to you too Phil (Yes I Googled it)
Hope you have a change of heart and come back to the forum soon.

[Charlie Reams]

the last recap from me for this series, this year, and this life.

Thanks very much for your contributions

[D Eadie]

Hope you do indeed remain part of the forum, Phil.

I enjoy the odd joust with you from time to time.

If not, then take care and god speed.

[Allan Harmer]

Phil

I know we have had one little upset but that in no way detracts from the huge contribution you have made to the forum in your time here.

Personally, I think that you will be greatly missed and I hope to keep in touch.

Best wishes matey.

[Howard Somerset]

Another great recap, Phil. You'll be truly missed.

By the way, Steve's offering in round 12 was MALTER (or so the subtitle writer thought). I should add that I don't generally watch with subtitles on; my hearing is not that bad yet (even if I'm unable to distinguish between F and S). Like you, Phil, I was unable to hear just what Steve had said, so replayed a bit, this time with subtitles.

[Alec Rivers]

The "hunky" bit made me gag.

Ah. You mean like in choke, not like in joke.

And we're back to oralites. (Soz, couldn't resist.)

p.s. I'll miss you too, Phil.

[Dinos Sfyris]

ALEATORY sounds like a medical term, but is actually an adjective meaning "dependent on chance", and can also refer to a style of music involving elements of random choice.

I had no idea what this lovely word meant until now, but funnily enough I recall doing a Latin translation at school years ago in which Caesar recites "Iacta alea est" which means "The die is cast". Dice being objects of probability and chance. Now I have a fascinating insight into the meaning of the word thanks to Phil. What a remarkable little curiosity!

[Phil Reynolds]

Now I have a fascinating insight into the meaning of the word thanks to Phil. What a remarkable little curiosity!

You talking about me or the word?

[Alec Rivers]

Now I have a fascinating insight into the meaning of the word thanks to Phil. What a remarkable little curiosity!

You talking about me or the word?

lol.