It's that time of the week again! Hope you all had a great Easter weekend! Apologies too for being a bit late.
C1: Champion Peter Fenton (2 wins, 182 points.) He is an apte-forumite, currently studying an MA in Leeds. He hopes to go somewhere warmer after completion, such as Rio, suggested by Nick. He has two solid wins to his name so far, can he keep it up today?
C2: Challenger Jean Wright. A tearoom assistant from New Milton, Hampshire although she made curtains for 30 years. She has three grandchildren, one of whom, 15-year-old Archie, is in the audience.
DC: Susie Dent and Julia Bradbury.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: B D N A E I M S A
R02: H S R I E W T I O
R03: 100, 75, 25, 50, 7, 5. Target: 108.
TTT: BADCROUP - "It can't wear clothes but it's not always bare"
R04: F Y S T E I O G P
R05: K D N M I E I A L
R06: 75, 100, 2, 3, 5, 7. Target: 491.
R07: B R M O A O R P I
R08: S Z M T U E O D S
R09: 75, 50, 100, 25, 8, 5. Target: 568.
TTT: LADGRINS - "The lad grins with delight when he's surrounded by these"
R10: V D R U U O H L E
R11: X D N E U A R S E
R12: F R N S A E A V T
R13: L G E I S N E I R
R14: 25, 3, 2, 7, 1, 9. Target: 282.
R15: D I X I E B E T H (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: B D N A E I M S A
C1: BANDIES (7)
C2: BANDIES (7)
DC: AMNESIA (7)
OT: BEADSMAN (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)
Sevens all round to start off but there was an eight hidden in there. A BEADSMAN was hstorically a pensioner provided for by a benefactor, in return for prayers.
Round 2: H S R I E W T I O
C1: WITHERS (7)
C2: WITHERS (7)
DC: WIRIEST (7)
OT: WORTHIES (8)
Score: 14–14 (max 16)
No WITHERing from the contestants just yet but again everyone misses the eight.
Round 3: 100, 75, 25, 50, 7, 5. Target: 108.
C1: 108. 75/25 + 5 + 100 (10)
C2: 108. 75/25 + 5 + 100 (10)
Score: 24–24 (max 26)
Peter goes for four large again in an attempt to break the deadlock but it's a bit easier than he would have liked.
Teatime teaser: BADCROUP -> CUPBOARD
Round 4: F Y S T E I O G P
C1: FEISTY (6)
C2: FOGIES (6)
DC: EGOIST (6)
OT: FOGEYS (6) PIGSTY (6) POSTIE (6) SOFTIE (6) SPIGOT (6) STOGIE (6)
Score: 30–30 (max 32)
Lots of sixes here but nothing better.
Round 5: K D N M I E I A L
C1: MENIAL (6)
C2: DENIAL (6)
DC: MANLIKE (7)
OT: DIAMINE (7) KNAIDEL (7) MIDLINE (7)
Score: 36–36 (max 39)
DC get their first beater of the afternoon with MANLIKE but there's nothing to separate Peter and Jean yet.
A DIAMINE is a chemical whose molecule contains to amino groups.
Round 6: 75, 100, 2, 3, 5, 7. Target: 491.
C1: 491. 100 x 5 - 7 - 2 (10)
C2: 491. 100 x 5 - 7 - 2 (10)
Score: 46–46 (max 49)
Another simple numbers game appears as this match remains in a deadlock.
Julia tells us about a trip she once took to South Africa while presenting and accidentally said "don't tickle the lions' testicles" in Afrikaans, as opposed to beard.
Round 7: B R M O A O R P I
C1: BROOM (5)
C2: BROOM (5)
DC: BARROOM (7)
Score: 51–51 (max 56)
A horrible selection here, as the contestants are stuck on five. DC get BARROOM for a darrenic seven while a final E would have given the amusing-sounding BROOMRAPE, which is not what it sounds like. In fact, it is a plant.
Round 8: S Z M T U E O D S
C1: MOUSE (5)
C2: MODEST (6)
DC: TOSSED (6)
OT: MOUSSED (7)
Score: 51–57 (max 63)
A MODEST six for Jean which finally puts some daylight between the two players. Susie points out that Peter could have put the D on his MOUSE (he could have put the S on too) but another darren is missed by the studio.
Round 9: 75, 50, 100, 25, 8, 5. Target: 568.
C1: 568. Mistake in working.
C2: 568. Mistake in working.
RR: 568. (75 - (100/25)) x 8 (10)
Score: 51–57 (max 73)
Peter again tries four large and this time it leads to a double blank. Both players use a number twice, leaving Rachel to show that knowing your 71 times tables can be surprisingly useful at times.
Teatime teaser: LADGRINS -> DARLINGS
Round 10: V D R U U O H L E
C1: LOUDER (6)
C2: DROVE (5)
DC: VELOUR (6) HURDLE (6)
OT: LOUVRED (7)
Score: 57–57 (max 80)
Peter levels the scores with his six.
A LOUVRE is not a famous art gallery in Paris (well, it is but that would have a capital L, which is forbidden on Countdown) but is a set of angled slats hung at regular intervals in a door to allow air or light to pass though. LOUVRED is the adjective.
Round 11: X D N E U A R S E
C1: SENDER (6)
C2: ENDURES (7)
DC: UNSEXED (7) UNDERSEA (8)
Score: 57–64 (max 88)
Jean strikes back immediately though, giving her the lead once again.
OoW: Susie explains why the Isle of Dogs is called so.
Round 12: F R N S A E A V T
C1: RAVENS (6)
C2: FASTEN (6)
DC: TAVERNAS (8)
Score: 63–70 (max 96)
This time both score and DC take the glory by spotting TAVERNAS for an impressive eight.
Round 13: L G E I S N E I R
C1: SLINGER (7)
C2: REELING (7)
DC: GIRLIES (7) LINGERIE (8)
OT: RESILING (8)
Score: 70–77 (max 104)
The seven point gap remains while DC get the appropriate pair of GIRLIES and LINGERIE.
Round 14: 25, 3, 2, 7, 1, 9. Target: 282.
C1: 282. (9 + 2) x 25 + 7 (10)
C2: 282. (9 + 3) x (25 - 2) + 7 - 1 (10)
Score: 80–87 (max 114)
Two very different routes but both contestants get the ten points to set up only the second crucial conundrum of the series.
Round 15: D I X I E B E T H
C2 buzzes on 4.25 seconds to say EXHIBITED which is correct.
Final Score: 80–97 (max 124)
It's Jean who gets it and she is the new champion. Peter has done well but he came up against a solid player today and I doubt that his two wins will be enough to get him into the finals, even with this series being much shorter than usual. Jean now has the Countdown teapot but if she wants to go further, she will have her work cut out. I say that because her opponent tomorrow is the apterite and part-time forumite, as well as CO:Reading runner-up Giles Hutchings. Tomorrow James Robinson returns to recapping duties after a long break so join him then for his take on events. I'll be back next Tuesday for another recap, see you all then!
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=68