Monday 15th October 2012 (Series 67, Prelim 50)

[Graeme Cole]

Countdown recap for Monday 15 October 2012.

After apterite Tia Corkish won her eighth game on Friday to become current #3 seed and book a certain place in the quarter finals, we've got two new contestants today.

C1: Challenger Barry Mould is a brewer's assistant from Widnes, Cheshire. He works in a micro-brewery.
C2: Challenger Rose Boyle recently joined our forum. She's an accountant who lives in Dublin and is originally from Arranmore, an island off the coast of County Donegal. Nick says something to her in Gaelic, which is still in popular use on Arranmore, and Rose says something back. I've no idea what. Could have been "this studio is falling apart, mind your head" for all I know.
DC: Susie Dent and Dr Phil Hammond.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: D B H I O E S O M
R02: P N T I E A J S E
R03: D M F I E U R W I
R04: C T S E O I P G T
R05: 100, 50, 4, 10, 9, 10. Target: 855.
TTT: RASHIDEA - "Might these people come up with rash ideas?"
R06: P R V E A E L T U
R07: C M L A E A F P E
R08: K N T A O E F S R
R09: B D T I A O S L E
R10: 50, 100, 75, 1, 5, 1. Target: 872.
TTT: VERBCODE - "You might pull this off when things start to get hot."
R11: R T S I U E L N A
R12: C S T I Z O A H E
R13: C R S A I O Y M E
R14: 25, 4, 7, 8, 1, 6. Target: 335.
R15: I C E I N V E N T (conundrum)


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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: D B H I O E S O M

C1: HOMES (5)
C2: HOODIES (7)
DC: DOOBIES (7)
OT: BOODIES (7) BOSOMED (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)

Rose starts off finding one of the maxes available. It's a word made famous by something David Cameron is popularly, but not quite correctly, thought to have said. Phil and Susie find DOOBIES, which are cannabis cigarettes.


Round 2: P N T I E A J S E

C1: PANTIES (7)
C2: PANTIES (7)
DC: SAPIENT (7)
OT: NEPETAS (7) PENATES (7) TAJINES (7)
Score: 7–14 (max 14)

The dependable "pair of panties" joke gets wheeled out again. Barry's off the mark. A TAJINE (also TAGINE) is a North African slow-cooked stew of spiced meat and vegetables, or the shallow earthenware cooking pot used to prepare such. PENATES (not valid in the singular) were "household gods worshipped in conjunction with Vesta and the lares by the ancient Romans". LARES are "gods of the household worshipped in ancient Rome; see also PENATES". This is going to be one of those recursive definitions, so I'll put the dictionary to one side and just assume Vesta was the Roman god of safety matches.


Round 3: D M F I E U R W I

C1: FIRMED (6)
C2: FIRMED (6)
DC: MIDWIFE (7)
Score: 13–20 (max 21)

Tricky selection here, and both Barry and Rose find FIRMED. Dr Phil appropriately finds the only seven available, MIDWIFE.


Round 4: C T S E O I P G T

C1: SPIGOT (6)
C2: POTTIES (7)
DC: EGOTIST (7)
OT: COTTISE (7) POETICS (7) TIPTOES (7)
Score: 13–27 (max 28)

Rose pulls further away with POTTIES, and Susie and Phil spot EGOTIST. A COTTISE is a heraldic term for a narrow band that runs alongside another one.


Round 5: 100, 50, 4, 10, 9, 10. Target: 855.

C1: 855. 9*100-50+4+10/10 (10)
C2: 855. 9*100-50+4+10/10 (10)
Score: 23–37 (max 38)

Perfect numbers round for both players means Rose is still 14 ahead.


Teatime teaser: RASHIDEA -> AIRHEADS

Round 6: P R V E A E L T U

C1: VAULTER (7)
C2: VAULTER (7)
DC: REVALUE (7) PRELATE (7)
OT: PLEURAE (7)
Score: 30–44 (max 45)

More sevens. PLEURA is the plural of PLEURON and the singular of PLEURAE. A PLEURA is one of the two membranes (pleurae) enveloping the lungs in mammals. Many PLEURA are the side walls of segments of an arthropod. Clear?


Round 7: C M L A E A F P E

C1: PALEFACE (8)
C2: PALACE (6)
Score: 38–44 (max 53)

Excellent spot here, coming from a selection that looks like it's got only sixes in it, and not many of them at that. Sadly FACEPALM isn't in, but Barry scores a deserved eight points with PALEFACE.


Round 8: K N T A O E F S R

C1: FORSAKEN (8)
C2: TREASON (7)
DC: TANKERS (7)
OT: FRANKEST (8) SEAFRONT (8)
Score: 46–44 (max 61)

Again Barry finds a winning eight.


Round 9: B D T I A O S L E

C1: ISOLATED (8)
C2: DIASTOLE (8)
DC: TABLOIDS (8)
OT: SODALITE (8)
Score: 54–52 (max 69)

Barry finds ISOLATED, and Rose kirkly goes for DIASTOLE, which is the phase of the heartbeat where the heart muscle relaxes (the opposite of SYSTOLE). SODALITE is a mineral found in alkaline igneous rocks.


Round 10: 50, 100, 75, 1, 5, 1. Target: 872.

C1: -
C2: 873. (100+75)*5-1-1 (7)
RR: 873. (7)
OT: 871. (100+75-1)*5+1 (7)
Score: 54–59 (max 76)

Not the easiest numbers game - it has Barry completely stumped, and Rose gets as close as is possible. The solver decided to do this one a trivially different way just to be contrary.

Teatime teaser: VERBCODE -> BEDCOVER

Round 11: R T S I U E L N A

C1: UTENSIL (7)
C2: URINATES (8)
DC: LATRINES (8) ENTRAILS (8)
OT: INSULATE (8) INSULTER (8) LUSTRINE (8) NEUTRALS (8) RATLINES (8) REINSTAL (8) TENURIAL (8) TRENAILS (8)
Score: 54–67 (max 84)

There ought to be a word for this sort of selection. The one that makes you think you're missing an easy nine that isn't there. Maybe a GROANIEST (max 8).


Round 12: C S T I Z O A H E

C1: HOIST (5)
C2: ACHIEST (7)
DC: AITCHES (7)
OT: ACHIOTES (8)
Score: 54–74 (max 92)

Rose wins her third round in a row with ACHIEST. ACHIOTE is another word for AN[N]ATTO, the dye used as food colouring or the fruit tree from which it is obtained.

Round 13: C R S A I O Y M E

C1: screamy
C2: CREAMY (6)
DC: SYCAMORE (8)
Score: 54–80 (max 100)

Barry tries a gamble with SCREAMY but it isn't in. This means Rose has the game wrapped up, and has the chance of making a century on her debut.


Round 14: 25, 4, 7, 8, 1, 6. Target: 335.

C1: -
C2: 335. (8+4)*25+(6-1)*7 (10)
Score: 54–90 (max 110)

Rose the accountant rounds off her third perfect numbers game of the day.


Round 15: I C E I N V E N T

C2 buzzes on 10 seconds to say INCENTIVE which is correct.
Final Score: 54–100 (max 120)

And a century it is. Rose won the last six rounds 48-0. Although Barry seemed to falter towards the end, his PALEFACE in R7 was the best spot I've seen in a while. He's off back to Widnes and Jack will be recapping Rose's second game tomorrow.


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=67

[Mark Deeks]

Good standard stuff.

[Dan McColm]

DIASTOLE can't take -S unfortunately.

[Graeme Cole]

DIASTOLE can't take -S unfortunately.

Whatwhatwhat? I thought I checked that yesterday.

You're right, it can't. Edited.

[Johnny Canuck]

There ought to be a word for this sort of selection. The one that makes you think you're missing an easy nine that isn't there.

How about "No 9 4 U"?

Funnier if you've played Super Smash Bros. Melee, of course.

[David O'Donnell]

Countdown recap for Monday 15 October 2012.
Nick says something to her in Gaelic, which is still in popular use on Arranmore, and Rose says something back. I've no idea what. Could have been "this studio is falling apart, mind your head" for all I know.

It was the rather more pedestrian:

Nick: "How are you?"
Rose: "I'm fine, thanks"

(Edit: I think he used the wrong dialect: probably should have been cad é mar atá tú?)