Countdown recap for Thursday 29th May 2008.
C1: Champion Jonathan Coles (2 wins, 203 points.)
C2: Challenger Kath Hollis.
DC: Susie Dent and Tom O'Connor.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T N C E A F T U Y
R02: L I X S E A P T A
R03: S D H I E N B O E
R04: R S O U E N N F I
R05: 100, 5, 5, 9, 1, 2. Target: 604.
TTT: ONEMEDAL - "If you like a drink, it's with you in spirit."
R06: T K O U D R E O P
R07: R M S E A T H O N
R08: L I O N J S L I R
R09: Q T R E O P T A N
R10: 100, 8, 4, 2, 5, 10. Target: 270.
TTT: IRENEGIL - "Is it removed by a Basque separatist?"
R11: D C D I E L T O A
R12: G P E A V S E W L
R13: M R M O E D S O G
R14: 5, 3, 4, 4, 7, 3. Target: 396.
R15: H U N T E D E G O (conundrum)
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Jonathan burst onto the scene two days ago with the highest ever score by a debutant (124) which he then followed with a much more modest 79 yesterday. Today he faces Kath Hollis, a sterile service technician from Gateshead. She has two children and two grandchildren, and was the first person to be born in 1958.
Round 1: T N C E A F T U Y
C1: FACET (5)
C2: FATTEN (6)
DC: ATTUNE (6)
OT: TAUTEN (6) TETANY (6) FACETY (6) FAUCET (6)
Score: 0–6 (max 6)
Tetany (mass noun) is a condition marked by intermittent muscular spasms caused by malfunction of the parathyroid glands. Facety is a West Indian word meaning rude or arrogant.
Round 2: L I X S E A P T A
C1: pastile
C2: PASTIE (6)
DC: SPATIAL (7) TALIPES (7)
OT: STAPELIA (8)
Score: 0–12 (max 14)
Stapelia is a succulent African plant also known as carrion flower.
Round 3: S D H I E N B O E
C1: DEBONES (7)
C2: BODIES (6)
DC: EBONISED (8)
Score: 7–12 (max 22)
Round 4: R S O U E N N F I
C1: SUNNIER (7)
C2: FUNNIER (7)
DC: NEURONS (7) INFUSER (7) INFERNOS (8)
OT: REUNIONS (8)
Score: 14–19 (max 30)
Round 5: 100, 5, 5, 9, 1, 2. Target: 604.
C1: 604.(5+1)*100+9-5 (10)
C2: 604.(5+1)*100+9-5 (10)
Score: 24–29 (max 40)
Teatime teaser: ONEMEDAL -> LEMONADE
Round 6: T K O U D R E O P
C1: TORPEDO (7)
C2: TROOPED (7)
DC: UPROOTED (8)
Score: 31–36 (max 48)
Round 7: R M S E A T H O N
C1: MOTHERS (7)
C2: MOTHERS (7)
DC: STOREMAN (8) MONSTERA (8)
OT: RHAMNOSE (8) MENORAHS (8) HORSEMAN (8)
Score: 38–43 (max 56)
Rhamnose is a sugar of the hexose class, and menorahs are eight branched candles used in Jewish worship.
Round 8: L I O N J S L I R
C1: SIRLOIN (7)
C2: LIONS (5)
DC: JILLIONS (8)
Score: 45–43 (max 64)
Round 9: Q T R E O P T A N
C1: PRONATE (7)
C2: protane
DC: PORTENT (7) OPERANT (7)
OT: PATENTOR (8)
Score: 52–43 (max 72)
Crumbs. Not only does Susie disallow Kath's 'protane' as invalid before Jonathan has been asked for his seven, she also adds that "she could have shuffled it round a bit and had protean". Bizarre.
Round 10: 100, 8, 4, 2, 5, 10. Target: 270.
C1: 271.
C2: 270.(8/4)*100+(5+2)*10 (10)
Score: 52–53 (max 82)
Teatime teaser: IRENEGIL -> LINGERIE
Round 11: D C D I E L T O A
C1: LOCATED (7)
C2: COILED (6)
DC: CITADEL (7)
Score: 59–53 (max 89)
A few other sevens here that I can't be bothered to list.
Round 12: G P E A V S E W L
C1: WEASEL (6)
C2: PLEASE (6)
DC: PELAGES (7)
OT: SELVAGE (7)
Score: 65–59 (max 96)
Pelage is a mass noun, but if Susie says you can pluralise it, who are we to argue? Selvage (also selvedge) is an edge produced on woven fabric to prevent it unravelling, or a zone of altered rock (especially volcanic glass) at the edge of a rock mass.
Round 13: M R M O E D S O G
C1: GROOMED (7)
C2: soored
OT: SMOODGER (8)
Score: 72–59 (max 104)
A smoodger is one who smoodges, being to flatter or behave in an ingratiating manner.
Round 14: 5, 3, 4, 4, 7, 3. Target: 396.
C1: 390.((4+3)*5+4)*(7+3) (5)
C2: -
CV: 396. 3*3*(7+4)*4 (10)
Score: 77–59 (max 114)
Round 15: H U N T E D E G O
C1 buzzes on 23 seconds to say TOUGHENED which is correct.
Score: 87–59 (max 124)
Poor Kath kept this game very tight all the way through (even leading a couple of times) until the last few rounds where her challenge unravelled. Her tactic of 6 small in the final numbers game looked to be a good one as it threw up a nicely solvable puzzle which her opponent failed to get... but alas so did she. And so on marches Jonathan, nudging closer to a place in the quarter-finals, and heartbreak for Jason Cullen...?
Further summaries are at:
http://www.thecountdowncorral.com/cd/se ... ?series=58
Thursday 29th May 2008 (Series 58, Game 103)
Moderator: James Robinson