Monday 25th January 2010 (Series 62, Prelim 11)

[Howard Somerset]

Countdown recap for Monday 25 January 2010.

C1: Champion Colin Grainger (1 win, 92 points.)
C2: Challenger James Rawson.
DC: Susie Dent and Paul Zenon.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Today we see Colin returning for his second game, following a relatively easy baptism on Friday. Colin is a bus driver from Haslingden, near Accrington in Lancashire. He's a snooker fan, yet his favourite sportsman of all time is Mohammed Ali.
Facing Colin is James, from Hendon in North London. He's a film buff, working as an assistant producer for a satellite channel. For a short time he taught English in China, and claims to be able to crack every joint in his body. Thank goodness he wasn't asked to demonstrate his prowess.
Back for another spell in dictionary corner this week is one of Countdown's favourites, Paul Zenon.

R01: N R D A I S I T E
R02: N S C O A L N O E
R03: G L U R P E U T F
R04: P M R I O I X T P
R05: 50, 8, 7, 7, 3, 2. Target: 452.
TTT: ROASTPIT - "Missiles that are loyal to their country."
R06: K M R A E A L J S
R07: H B N E A T G A O
R08: Y P Q E E I D S S
R09: N N O I B V E I W
R10: 25, 6, 8, 5, 4, 2. Target: 841.
TTT: HERPLANS - "Her plans can be thrown out, literally."
R11: Y C D E O F C I R
R12: V R A I U S T D E
R13: R D O M L A E O T
R14: 50, 9, 6, 4, 4, 9. Target: 586.
R15: P I N G U T I N T (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: N R D A I S I T E

C1: DAINTIER (8)
C2: RANDIEST (8)
DC: RAINIEST (8) STRAINED (8) DISTRAIN (8)
OT: DAINTIES (8) DETRAINS (8) DISINTER (8) NITRIDES (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)

Numerous eights in the first round, and fortunately for them, the contestants got one each.

Round 2: N S C O A L N O E

C1: CANOES (6)
C2: CLONES (6)
DC: LANCES (6) COLONS (6) LOOSEN (6) CONSOLE (7)
OT: ANCONES (7) COLONES (7) NEOCONS (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 15)

Still level pegging, though both players missed the set of sevens.

In buildings, an ANCON is a support for a cornice.
A NEOCON is a person whose political stance favours democratic capitalism.

Round 3: G L U R P E U T F

C1: fluter
C2: FLUTE (5)
DC: FUTURE (6)
OT: GULPER (6) PURFLE (6) RUEFUL (6)
Score: 14–19 (max 21)

Colin hoped to gain a lead here, but flautist is the only (polite) word for describing a flute player. So instead, it's James who takes the first lead.

A PURFLE is an ornamental border, typically seen on a violin.

Round 4: P M R I O I X T P

C1: PROMPT (6)
C2: IMPORT (6)
OT: TRIMIX (6)
Score: 20–25 (max 27)

TRIMIX (mass noun) is a breathing mixture for deep-sea divers.

Round 5: 50, 8, 7, 7, 3, 2. Target: 452.

C1: 452. (7 / 7 + 8) x 50 + 2 (10)
C2: 452. (7 / 7 + 8) x 50 + 2 (10)
Score: 30–35 (max 37)

A relatively straightforward numbers game sees the pair going into the first break with James just in the lead.

But first ...

Paul uses Susie as his stooge in demonstrating a trick with hotel matches.

Teatime teaser: ROASTPIT -> PATRIOTS

Round 6: K M R A E A L J S

C1: MAKERS (6)
C2: MAKERS (6)
OT: SEAMARK (7)
Score: 36–41 (max 44)

Round 7: H B N E A T G A O

C1: ABATE (5)
C2: AGNATE (6)
OT: THANAGE (7)
Score: 36–47 (max 51)

Only the second time that the contestents have been separated, and it's James again, who now goes into an important 11 point lead.

Round 8: Y P Q E E I D S S

C1: DESPISE (7)
C2: DESPISE (7)
Score: 43–54 (max 58)

That's the third consecutive Darren, and only the first of which was mentioned in the studio.

Round 9: N N O I B V E I W

C1: BOVINE (6)
C2: BOVINE (6)
DC: BONNIE (6)
Score: 49–60 (max 64)

In honour of this week's guest, Susie plans to talk about words and phrases with a magical connection. Today she started by describing the word ESCAPOLOGY, and how it first came to be used.

Round 10: 25, 6, 8, 5, 4, 2. Target: 841.

C1: 843.
C2: 840. (25 x 4 + 5) x 8 (7)
RR: 841. (25 x 4 + 6) x 8 - 5 - 2 (10)
Score: 49–67 (max 74)

Close, but not quite close enough, by James, nevertheless his lead by the end of part 2 is extended to 18 points.

Teatime teaser: HERPLANS -> SHRAPNEL

Round 11: Y C D E O F C I R

C1: FORCED (6)
C2: CODIFY (6)
OT: DIOECY (6)
Score: 55–73 (max 80)

Round 12: V R A I U S T D E

C1: DUSTIER (7)
C2: STRIVED (7)
DC: DURATIVE (8)
Score: 62–80 (max 88)

Round 13: R D O M L A E O T

C1: LEOTARD (7)
C2: LEOTARD (7)
DC: EARLDOM (7) MOTORED (7) DOORMAT (7)
OT: MODERATO (8)
Score: 69–87 (max 96)

Possibly distracted by the presence of the old Countdown favourite, everyone missed the eight. Colin now needs to win both of the remaining rounds to take the game.

Round 14: 50, 9, 6, 4, 4, 9. Target: 586.

C1: 584.
C2: 586. (50 + 9) x (6 + 4) - 4 (10)
Score: 69–97 (max 106)

But it's not Colin, it's James who gets the final numbers round, and with it, the game.

Round 15: P I N G U T I N T

C2 buzzes on 4 seconds to say INPUTTING which is correct.
Score: 69–107 (max 116)

And just to wrap it up, James get the conundrum, thereby scoring in all rounds. Eight max rounds from James today, and only 9 short of the overall max. Will he be strong enough to be still in contention at the end of the week?

Statistics Corner

Colin:
Total score - 69
Raw score - 77
Total % of max - 59.5
Raw % of max - 66.4
Total average score per round - 4.6
Raw average score per round - 5.1
Number of maxes - 6 (five letters, one numbers)

James:
Total score - 107
Raw score - 107
Total % of max - 92.2
Raw % of max - 92.2
Total average score per round - 7.1
Raw average score per round - 7.1
Number of maxes - 8 (five letters, two numbers, conundrum)

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62

[Alec Rivers]

Tiny typo at round 3: flautist, not falutist. Nice word, though.

[Howard Somerset]

Thanks Alec.

Fixed

[James Robinson]

James:
Number of maxes - 8 (six letters, two numbers, conundrum)

Shouldn't that be five letters, Howard

[Howard Somerset]

James:
Number of maxes - 8 (six letters, two numbers, conundrum)

Shouldn't that be five letters, Howard

Quite right, James. Thanks.