More to follow later.
But, for now let's enjoy this game.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 24 April 2013.
C1: Champion Jill Hayward (3 wins, 276 points.) From Christchurch, Dorset. She once attempted a parachute jump, which she said was the scariest thing she'd ever done, until she came on this show.
C2: Challenger Eileen Taylor. A retired personnel officer from Sydenham, South East London. She was a previous contestant on the show, losing to Anne Lyng 47-46 in Series 22 in 1991.
DC: Susie Dent and Bill Turnbull, making his DC début today.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T L S C R E I U A
R02: E I U B L P R E N
R03: 75, 7, 4, 5, 1, 2. Target: 317.
TTT: BLUELAVA - "If you get this, it could be worth your while"
R04: A E I V R T N D A
R05: B G T N O E A E Q
R06: 75, 9, 7, 2, 6, 8. Target: 228.
R07: T C N P U E I A R
R08: E I O K G T M R E
R09: 50, 5, 9, 3, 6, 8. Target: 411.
TTT: COPSABLE - "The cop is able to tell they are not real drugs"
R10: A O U N P S N E D
R11: T N H D X E O I R
R12: E O I F T L T S O
R13: D S R J A E I O M
R14: 100, 50, 75, 9, 8, 7. Target: 145.
R15: P O L I O G A Z E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T L S C R E I U A
C1: CURTAIL (7)
C2: SCARLET (7)
DC: CURTAILS (8) RECITALS (8) ARTICLES (8)
OT: AURICLES (8) CURLIEST (8) RETICULA (8) SURICATE (8) UTRICLES (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. It's 7 each, but why Jill didn't stick the S on the end of CURTAIL is anyone's guess.....
The RETICULUM (plural RETICULA) is the second stomach of ruminating animals, between the rumen and the omasum.
A SURICATE is a small, burrowing South African carnivore, Suricata suricatta, of a grayish color with dark bands across the back, related to the mongooses and having social behaviour similar to that of prairie dogs.
Round 2: E I U B L P R E N
C1: PUERILE (7)
C2: PUERILE (7)
DC: PLEB (4)
OT: PERILUNE (8)
Score: 14–14 (max 16)
Another good 7 there from the contestants. An interesting darrenic 8 is left alone there.
The PERILUNE is the point in a lunar orbit that is nearest to the moon.
Round 3: 75, 7, 4, 5, 1, 2. Target: 317.
C1: 317. ((75 + 5) x 4) - 1 - 2 (10)
C2: 317. (75 x 4) + (2 x 5) + 7 (10)
Score: 24–24 (max 26)
2 different methods = 2 lots of 10 points.
Teatime teaser: BLUELAVA -> VALUABLE
Round 4: A E I V R T N D A
C1: TRAINED (7)
C2: VARIANT (7)
DC: VERANDA (7) TAVERNA (7)
OT: ARANEID (7) AVIATED (7) DETRAIN (7) DEVIANT (7) INVADER (7) RADIANT (7) RADIATE (7) RAVINED (7) VARIATE (7) VERDANT (7)
Score: 31–31 (max 33)
Flatness reigns here. Slightly surprised that VARIATED isn't there, but I'm sure others thought that too.
VERDANT is an adjective meaning green with vegetation, or of the colour green.
Round 5: B G T N O E A E Q
C1: BEATEN (6)
C2: BEGONE (6)
DC: GOATEE (6)
OT: NEGATE (6)
Score: 37–37 (max 39)
Six, six, six, six.
Round 6: 75, 9, 7, 2, 6, 8. Target: 228.
C1: 228. (9 - 8 + 75) x (6 / 2) (10)
C2: 228. ((9 - 6) x 75) + 2 + 8 - 7 (10)
Score: 47–47 (max 49)
And after 6 rounds, it's still as level pegging as it was at the start of the show.
Bill talks about a trip to Haiti that he did to make a film about voodoo werewolves, and how he gave up his $10 watch to a voodoo high priest, and how he has never owned a watch since
Round 7: T C N P U E I A R
C1: CAPRINE (7)
C2: PERTAIN (7)
DC: PICTURE (7) pincture
OT: CANTRIP (7) CAPTURE (7) CENTAUR (7) CERTAIN (7) CUPRITE (7) CURTAIN (7) PAINTER (7) PARETIC (7) PETUNIA (7) PICANTE (7) PICRATE (7) PUNCTAE (7) PURITAN (7) REPAINT (7) TACRINE (7) TAURINE (7) TUNICAE (7) UNCRATE (7) URINATE (7)
Score: 54–54 (max 56)
I was so thinking that I was missing an obvious 8, so Bill helps out by making up an 8.
In Scotland, a CANTRIP is a magic spell or a trick by sorcery.
A CUPRITE is a mineral, cuprous oxide, Cu2O, occurring in red crystals and brown to black granular masses: an ore of copper.
TACRINE is a drug that halts or reverses memory loss temporarily in some individuals with Alzheimer's disease, but does not alter the course of the disease.
Round 8: E I O K G T M R E
C1: GOITRE (6)
C2: reeking
DC: REMOTE (6) METEOR (6)
OT: EMIGRE (6) EMOTER (6) METIER (6) REGIME (6) RETIME (6)
Score: 60–54 (max 62)
OUCHY!!!! A gap is finally made, but unfortunately for Eileen, a classic M/N mishearing gives Jill the lead.
Round 9: 50, 5, 9, 3, 6, 8. Target: 411.
C1: 411. ((6 - 5 + 50) x 8) + 3 (10)
C2: 411. (50 x 8) + 6 + 5 (10)
Score: 70–64 (max 72)
The 3rd numbers game in a row when both players give completely different methods. Wonder if that's ever happened before
Teatime teaser: COPSABLE -> PLACEBOS
Round 10: A O U N P S N E D
C1: DUENNAS (7)
C2: SPANNED (7)
DC: PANES (5) DAPSONE (7)
OT: UNPOSED (7)
Score: 77–71 (max 79)
A very impressive spot by Jill there, but the lead remains at 6 points for now. Something special might be needed to shake here off.................
Round 11: T N H D X E O I R
C1: THRONE (6)
C2: HORNED (6)
DC: THRONED (7)
OT: DEXTRIN (7) THORNED (7)
Score: 83–77 (max 86)
Oh dear, another chance missed by Jill then.
DEXTRIN is a soluble, gummy substance, formed from starch by the action of heat, acids, or ferments, occurring in various forms and having dextrorotatory properties: used chiefly as a thickening agent in printing inks and food, as a mucilage, and as a substitute for gum arabic and other natural substances.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "piggy bank".
Round 12: E O I F T L T S O
C1: LOFTIEST (8)
C2: LOFTIEST (8)
DC: foilet
Score: 91–85 (max 94)
I almost gave up after seeing OSTIOLE and TOILETS, but a last-gasp spot of an 8 made me feel good, and even happier still when both these brilliant ladies got the 8 too.
Round 13: D S R J A E I O M
C1: MAJORED (7)
C2: MAJORED (7)
OT: ADMIRES (7) MISREAD (7) RADIOES (7) RADOMES (7) ROADIES (7) SIDEARM (7)
Score: 98–92 (max 101)
Seven 7's here, and amazingly both our contestants are in the 90's, so if both of them get maximum points in the numbers, we'll be on for our first double ton game in a normal series since this amazing game in Series 61.
Following her "inverted T" for Taylor in round 6, Eileen decides to flip it around for a regular T to try and spice things up.
Round 14: 100, 50, 75, 9, 8, 7. Target: 145.
C1: 145. Mistake in working.
C2: 145. 100 + 50 - (75 / (7 + 8)) (10)
Score: 98–102 (max 111)
IT'S ONLY BLUMMING WORKED TOO!!!
Jill messes up by thinking that 100 / 50 was 5. And so, Eileen takes the lead for the first time today, and she has got her century, but the game's certainly not up yet, especially as Jill has got a 100% record on conundrums, and Eileen has a 0% record on conundrums, based on her previous appearance.......WELL, ALL I'LL SAY IS THAT THIS HAS BEEN A BRILLIANT GAME, WHATEVER THE RESULT!!!
Round 15: P O L I O G A Z E
No one buzzes. The answer was APOLOGIZE.
Final Score: 98–102 (max 121)
SHOCK! SHOCK!! SHOCK!!! Well, after the brilliance of the rest of the show, I'm actually slightly shocked that neither player got this conundrum.
But, that is definitely an amazing result which has stopped on the best females in recent series in her tracks at just 3 wins!! That was actually Jill's 2nd highest score of her run, and all those points should probably get her into the finals, she is currently at #5 in the standings, and with less than 2 months till the finals, it will certainly be touch and go for her.
But, on a positive note, it's nice to see Eileen get a win after 22 years of waiting to get another chance.
Unfortunately, I'm busy doing an audition in Salford tomorrow, so I'm going to leave you in the capable hand of Andy Platt for tomorrow's show, before the early weekend break for the horse racing.
So, I'll be back on May 1 for my next recap. So till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Jill:
Total score - 98
Raw score - 98
Total % of max - 81
Raw % of max - 81
Total average score per round - 6.5
Raw average score per round - 6.5
Number of maxes - 10
Eileen:
Total score - 102
Raw score - 102
Total % of max - 84
Raw % of max - 84
Total average score per round - 6.8
Raw average score per round - 6.8
Number of maxes - 10
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=68