Monday 31st May 2010 (Series 62, Prelim 96)

[Ryan Taylor]

Forgive me if todays recap seems rushed. That's because it is.

Countdown recap for Monday 31 May 2010.

C1: Champion Dominic "Dom" Travers (2 wins, 180 points.)
C2: Challenger Marjorie Knight.
DC: Susie Dent and Jon Gaunt.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: T M U S I N E T A
R02: L S K G I U T N A
R03: W S O L A F E R C
R04: D R T R U A O C N
R05: 100, 75, 7, 3, 9, 4. Target: 879.
TTT: SODATRAP - "They turn three into two, keep plugging away"
R06: T D T P A E U N G
R07: P R I N O L A G S
R08: U E O N R C I D R
R09: N S O L E R O J H
R10: 75, 5, 7, 7, 2, 8. Target: 573.
TTT: PUBLATER - "If you're this, you can go to the pub later in life"
R11: L P A R E S O P D
R12: S H R D E I A S D
R13: S F E T I V A Q E
R14: 25, 3, 6, 7, 2, 4. Target: 651.
R15: A I R Y M I L L S (conundrum)

It's national family week apparently so you all be nice to your family, uhuh.

DC guest is everybody's favourite fat spectacled man - Jon Gaunt (ironic name).

Dominic Travers is the current champion with impressive victories in his last two games. Can he score a hatrick today by overcoming Marjorie.

Marjorie Knight is a retired teacher living in St Albans. She has waited 15 years for this moment and my guess is she probably couldn't wait another 15 so it's good that she is on the show now! Don't bugger it up.

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: T M U S I N E T A

C1: MUTATES (7)
C2: UNSEAT (6)
DC: MINUETS (7) TSUNAMI (7) AUNTIES (7) MINUTEST (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)

Marjorie is immediately playing catch up after missing a flurry of 7's.

Round 2: L S K G I U T N A

C1: LUSTING (7)
C2: SLATING (7)
DC: SULKING (7)
OT: SALUTING (8)
Jeff: STALKING (8)
Score: 14–7 (max 16)

Both miss gettable -ING 8's but 7 points apiece will do just nicely.

Round 3: W S O L A F E R C

C1: LOAFERS (7)
C2: FLOWERS (7)
DC: ALFRESCO (8)
Score: 21–14 (max 24)

A great spot from DC and both contestants maintain the good standard with 7's.

Round 4: D R T R U A O C N

C1: CARROT (6)
C2: COUNT (5)
DC: RANCOUR (7) CURRANT (7)
OT: CANDOUR (7) COURANT (7) CURATOR (7) ROTUNDA (7)
Score: 27–14 (max 31)

Dom manages to spot CARROT whilst Marjorie slumps further behind.

Round 5: 100, 75, 7, 3, 9, 4. Target: 879.

C1: 879. 9*100-3*7 (10)
C2: 879. 9*100-3*7 (10)
Score: 37–24 (max 41)

Steady numbers from them both chalks up 10 more points.

DC Guest Time: Jon of Gaunt tells of how he got stuck on holiday because of the volcanic ash. HA!

Teatime teaser: SODATRAP -> ADAPTORS

Round 6: T D T P A E U N G

C1: TAUNTED (7)
C2: unpatted
OT: ATTUNED (7) UNPAGED (7)
Score: 44–24 (max 48)

The risk doesn't pay off and Dom's consistency is winning him this game. Another 7 this time beating DC in the process.

Round 7: P R I N O L A G S

C1: PAROLING (8)
C2: SLOPING (7)
OT: SPARLING (8)
Score: 52–24 (max 56)

And again, a nice set of letters that throws up two 8's. Dom picks out one of them, hesitantly, and beats DC again. Great play from the biology student.

Round 8: U E O N R C I D R

C1: CORNIER (7)
C2: CIDER (5)
DC: INCURRED (8)
Score: 59–24 (max 64)

DC get one back on him here finding the Darren but Dom extends his lead even further and the scoreline is not looking pretty for Marj.

Round 9: N S O L E R O J H

C1: SOONER (6)
C2: SOONER (6)
DC: ONSHORE (7)
Score: 65–30 (max 71)

Consecutive rounds with a darren which DC find whilst Dom and Marj match each other word for word.

Origin of Words: Susie enlightens us on Roman words such as GLADIATOR and ROSTRUM.

Round 10: 75, 5, 7, 7, 2, 8. Target: 573.

C1: 574. 75*8-5*7+7+2 (7)
C2: 576.
RR: 573. (75+7)*7-8+5+2 (10)
Score: 72–30 (max 81)

Dom is closer and takes an even healthier lead. Ms. Riley finds the way to do it though. Witwoo.

Teatime teaser: PUBLATER -> PUBERTAL

Round 11: L P A R E S O P D

C1: dopplers
C2: SLAPPED (7)
DC: PAROLES (7) PAROLED (7) DAPPLES (7) LEOPARDS (8)
OT: PADLOPERS (18) PROLAPSED (18)
Score: 72–37 (max 99)

Dom with his huge lead can afford to risk some dodgy words. Both miss the niners which seemed to jump out to me and many viewers. Marjorie claws back 6 points making the scoreline seem less harsh.

Round 12: S H R D E I A S D

C1: sharded
C2: DREADS (6)
DC: RADISHES (8) DIEHARD (7)
OT: DIEHARDS (8)
Score: 72–43 (max 107)

Again Dom risks a word that isn't there. 6 more points back for Marjorie. Jon Gaunt said DIEHARD although probably meant DIEHARDS but his brain and his mouth don't work well together.

Round 13: S F E T I V A Q E

C1: FESTIVE (7)
C2: FESTIVE (7)
Score: 79–50 (max 114)

Mr Benn's place of living is the very obvious darren here. Both champ and challenger have no problem finding it.

Round 14: 25, 3, 6, 7, 2, 4. Target: 651.

C1: 650. (6*4+2)*25 (7)
C2: -
RR: 651. (25*4-7)*(6+3-2) (10)
Score: 86–50 (max 124)

A tricky numbers which separates the scores further as Dom takes 7. RR is on form once again with a very solid and tidy solution. Jeff comments humorously on knowing the "93 times table".

Round 15: A I R Y M I L L S

C1 buzzes on 1 second to say SIMILARLY which is correct.
Score: 96–50 (max 134)

A lightning fast spot from Mr Champ sees him notch up 96 and nearly double Marj's score. Although my mum got today's conundrum in about a second so maybe it was an easy(ish) one. All that said, Dom performed excellently today and is showing he is a serious contender in this series. Marjorie induces pathos when she says she just wasn't up to scratch. Awwww 15 years she waited for this! Dom you are a very harsh bastard! How could you do that to this aging lady?

Join me again tomorrow for Tuesday's episode where Dom is going for win number 4 and Jon Gaunt will continue to annoy viewers. I think he is OK (in small doses).

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

[Howard Somerset]

Thanks for doing it at short notice, Ryan.

[Jeff Clayton]

Just a different solution for round 14:

S
SP
SPO
SPOIL
SPOILE
SPOILER

25+2=27
27x4=108
108x6=648
648+3=LECOMPTEESTBON.


Jeff

[James Chapman]

Is is me or could the conundrum have been Amyrillis (a plant) ??

[Michael Wallace]

Is is me or could the conundrum have been Amyrillis (a plant) ??

ITYM AMARYLLIS?

[Ryan Taylor]

Is is me or could the conundrum have been Amyrillis (a plant) ??

It's you.

[James Chapman]

Is is me or could the conundrum have been Amyrillis (a plant) ??

ITYM AMARYLLIS?

Failed my spelling test then!

[James Robinson]

Round 2: L S K G I U T N A

C1: LUSTING (7)
C2: SLATING (7)
DC: SULKING (7)
OT: SALUTING (8) STALKING (8)
Score: 14–7 (max 16)

Both miss gettable -ING 8's but 7 points apiece will do just nicely.

I seem to recall the Stell-meister (as he is never called) declared STALKING on the show.

[Ryan Taylor]

Round 2: L S K G I U T N A

C1: LUSTING (7)
C2: SLATING (7)
DC: SULKING (7)
OT: SALUTING (8) STALKING (8)
Score: 14–7 (max 16)

Both miss gettable -ING 8's but 7 points apiece will do just nicely.

I seem to recall the Stell-meister (as he is never called) declared STALKING on the show.

Yeah but I don't like him.