Hello and welcome to my first ever recap! After having to restart due to deletion I'll try and make this good. Whilst I've been trying to get to grips with what recapping entails (I don't envy James!) and Nick has been getting to grips with the Countdown job, Jack has definitely got the game sussed as he stands not only with 6 wins, but with 6 centuries. My 7th game after 6 centuries was tough, but will his be?
C1: Champion Jack Worsley (6 wins, 628 points.)
C2: Challenger Stewart MacPherson.
DC: Susie Dent and John Suchet.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: L C F H A E A B I
R02: N L R E A E N T P
R03: Z S P T U E I L O
R04: S N T A E U R G N
R05: 50, 100, 75, 25, 4, 6. Target: 777.
TTT: SIRSPAIN - "Sir's pain might subside with the help of these."
R06: D S G A O A D V I
R07: R G S P O U A O R
R08: S D Y E A O W M S
R09: C T M P E I E X O
R10: 100, 50, 5, 4, 10, 9. Target: 620.
TTT: MADEBONE - "Was unhappy and made bones about it."
R11: T V B T U E O N E
R12: L K N O E I T N R
R13: T C N R A O I O F
R14: 75, 50, 2, 9, 3, 9. Target: 153.
R15: L A C E D I T U P (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: L C F H A E A B I
C1: BIFACE (6)
C2: BLEACH (6)
OT: BEALACH (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
A nice start for everybody, but the max is missed by everyone.
A BEALACH is a narrow mountain pass which comes from Gaelic.
Round 2: N L R E A E N T P
C1: REPLANT (7)
C2: LANTERN (7)
DC: PLANNER (7)
OT: LANNERET (8)
Score: 13–13 (max 15)
A LANNERET is a male lanner, which is a bird used in falconry and again is missed by everyone. Both players are even though.
Round 3: Z S P T U E I L O
C1: OUTSIZE (7)
C2: PILOTS (6)
DC: TUPELOS (7)
OT: PIOLETS (7) PISTOLE (7) PITEOUS (7) PLOTZES (7) STIPULE (7) ZLOTIES (7)
Score: 20–13 (max 22)
Jack draws first blood with his risky seven. The ZLOTY is the currency used in Poland and a TUPELO is a North American or Asian tree - is it just me or are a lot of obscure words either fish or plants?!
Round 4: S N T A E U R G N
C1: TANNERS (7)
C2: STRANGE (7)
DC: SAUNTER (7)
OT: GUNNERAS (8)
Score: 27–20 (max 30)
A GUNNERA is what Thierry Henry is now again, or alternatively it is a plant!
Round 5: 50, 100, 75, 25, 4, 6. Target: 777.
C1: 776. (100 + 25 − 4) × 6 + 50 (7)
C2: 775.
RR: 777. (4 + 6) × 75 + 25 + 100 ÷ 50 (10)
Score: 34–20 (max 40)
Jack gains points on his opponent again with his choice of 4 large. Rachel shows us how to solve it though.
John Suchet talks about how he first met Nick at an awards ceremony, he said NIck was very nervous but in the end he brought the house down, let's hope Nick does the same with Countdown!
Teatime teaser: SIRSPAIN -> ASPIRINS
Round 6: D S G A O A D V I
C1: ADAGIOS (7)
C2: AVOIDS (6)
OT: GADOIDS (7)
Score: 41–20 (max 47)
Wahey! A GADOID is a fish! Jack's declaration of ADAGIOS leads to Nick asking John what were his favourite adagios, they are Beethoven's, unsurprisingly and uninterestingly.
Round 7: R G S P O U A O R
C1: GROUPS (6)
C2: GROUPS (6)
DC: GOPURAS (7) UPROARS (7)
Score: 47–26 (max 54)
Nick seems outraged at Jack's declaration of a six: "A SIX?! Good Lord..."
A GOPURA, alas, is neither a plant nor a fish, but a monumental tower. It also featured in Julian Fell's record breaking 146 game.
Round 8: S D Y E A O W M S
C1: SOMEDAY (7)
C2: MEADOWS (7)
DC: MEADOWY (7)
OT: SOMEWAYS (8)
Score: 54–33 (max 62)
A dodgy enough selection actually yields 3 sevens and an obscure 8, which is again missed by everybody. Nick seems shocked that MEADOWY is valid.
Round 9: C T M P E I E X O
C1: TOXIC (5)
C2: EXEMPT (6)
DC: COMPETE (7)
OT: EPITOME (7) PICOTEE (7)
Score: 54–39 (max 69)
And now he looks disgusted at Jack for his declaration. Stewart closes the lead to a precarious 15 points.
A PICOTEE is a type of carnation with light-coloured flowers - I'm not making this up!
Origin of Words: Susie talks about the origin of the phrase 'Evens Stevens' which derived from Jonathan Swift's 'Journal to Stella'.
Round 10: 100, 50, 5, 4, 10, 9. Target: 620.
C1: 620. (100 + 10 + 4) × 5 + 50 (10)
C2: 620. 50 × 10 + 100 + 5 × 4 (10)
Score: 64–49 (max 79)
And a simple numbers game leaves the difference still at 15.
Teatime teaser: MADEBONE -> BEMOANED
Round 11: T V B T U E O N E
C1: BUTTON (6)
C2: BUTTON (6)
OT: BOTNET (6) TENUTO (6)
Score: 70–55 (max 85)
BUTTON is spotted by everybody, but there was 2 other 6s in this otherwise flat round.
Round 12: L K N O E I T N R
C1: RETINOL (7)
C2: tinkler x
OT: EINKORN (7)
Score: 77–55 (max 92)
Ouch! Stewart's plausible 7 is disallowed and allows Jack some breathing space. Is it game over?
Round 13: T C N R A O I O F
C1: FRACTION (8)
C2: FRACTION (8)
DC: CARTOON (7) CORTINA (7)
Score: 85–63 (max 100)
Yes! Jack has an unassailable 22 point lead now. Nick is much more impressed with Jack's 8 which is the darren here.
Round 14: 75, 50, 2, 9, 3, 9. Target: 153.
C1: 153. 75 × 2 + 3 (10)
C2: 153. 75 × 2 + 3 (10)
Score: 95–73 (max 110)
And a very simple numbers game gives everyone a handy 10 points. For some reason here, NIck talks to Stewart asking if his wife Elke or his Shih Tzu Martin will be watching. Anyway, Jack needs this conundrum for a seventh century...
Round 15: L A C E D I T U P
C1 buzzes on 5 seconds to say DUPLICATE which is correct.
Final Score: 105–73 (max 120)
Jack buzzes in, to which Nick replies "What is it now?" As if he's sick of Jack's winning!
Congratulations to Jack who has got his 7th century. Hopefully he can gain octochampdom tomorrow and even better octocentochampdom(?). He looks good enough to win a series, especially as he seems confident in his 4 large abilities. A good game today against a very capable opponent.
Well that was fun! Hope you enjoyed.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65
Go easy with the complaints
