Monday 13th May 2013 (Series 68, Prelim 41)

Graeme Cole · Post by **Graeme Cole** » Mon May 13, 2013 8:33 pm

Countdown recap for Monday 13 May 2013.

C1: Champion Ian Burn (1 win, 78 points) is a software engineer from Purley on Thames, who swam in Loch Ness once.
C2: Challenger Joe McGonigle is a croupier from Stockport.
DC: Susie Dent and Gyles Brandreth.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: M N G E I E R L U
R02: B S D A I A O P Z
R03: 25, 4, 6, 8, 8, 10. Target: 761.
TTT: GRITSINK - "A strong resemblance of those refusing to work."
R04: F E M I B E S D U
R05: R T W E I A S N R
R06: 25, 50, 8, 10, 9, 5. Target: 597.
R07: T N S J E A O R I
R08: T D M A E O C D E
R09: 50, 4, 9, 8, 8, 10. Target: 664.
TTT: REDMARES - "Along with Freddie, they've got their delusions."
R10: R U T O P E H O Q
R11: D S S M A U E L T
R12: S G V R O I E C G
R13: T L S P O A E I S
R14: 4, 6, 10, 9, 10, 6. Target: 105.
R15: D A R T M A K E R (conundrum)

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: M N G E I E R L U

C1: REELING (7)
C2: REELING (7)
DC: GREMLIN (7) mingler
OT: MERINGUE (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

Both players start by REELING off their sevens. Gyles attempts MINGLER^ but that's only useful as a falseagram of GREMLIN, which he also spotted. MERINGUE remains unfound.

Round 2: B S D A I A O P Z

C1: BIPODS (6)
C2: SAID (4)
DC: POSADA (6)
OT: DOPIAZAS (8)
Score: 13–7 (max 16)

I wasn't sure about BIPODS, but it's fine, just like TRIPODS. There was also DOPIAZAS for 8. So that's MERINGUE and DOPIAZAS. We're two courses in to a three-course meal, except we seem to be going backwards.

Round 3: 25, 4, 6, 8, 8, 10. Target: 761.

C1: -
C2: -
RR: 761. ((4+6)*10-8)*8+25 (10)
Score: 13–7 (max 26)

A tricky numbers game to start the week with, and only Rachel gets anywhere near it. She's spot on thanks to realising that the 25 is the only odd number, so it makes sense to add that on last. The 25 is really only an honorary large. Asking for one large and getting a 25 is like asking for a consonant and getting a Y.

Teatime teaser: GRITSINK -> STRIKING

Round 4: F E M I B E S D U

C1: BEMUSED (7)
C2: BEMUSED (7)
DC: IMBUES (6) MISFEED (7)
OT: EMBUSED (7)
Score: 20–14 (max 33)

Our contestants aren't BEMUSED by this selection, as they both max it. MISFEED means to eat a three-course meal starting with the dessert and finishing with the starter. Or something.

Round 5: R T W E I A S N R

C1: WAITERS (7)
C2: TRAINERS (8)
DC: RESTRAIN (8)
OT: INTERWAR (8) RETRAINS (8) STRAINER (8) TERRAINS (8) TRANSIRE (8)
Score: 20–22 (max 41)

Joe takes the lead with TRAINERS.

Round 6: 25, 50, 8, 10, 9, 5. Target: 597.

C1: 598. Mistake in working.
C2: 598. (50+9)*10+8 (7)
RR: 597. 50*10+9*8+25 (10)
Score: 20–29 (max 51)

Now Joe goes even further in front as Ian gets to 500 only to realise he's made a mistake. For the second time today, Rachel uses the 25 as a small.

Round 7: T N S J E A O R I

C1: JOINTERS (8)
C2: seration
DC: JEANS (5) JANITORS (8) NOTARIES (8)
OT: NOTARISE (8)
Score: 28–29 (max 59)

Joe tries to spell SERRATION with only one R, so Ian's back to within one point with JOINTERS.

Round 8: T D M A E O C D E

C1: decoated
C2: COATED (6)
DC: DEMOTED (7)
Score: 28–35 (max 66)

Now it's Ian's turn to make the dodgy offering. Gyles offers two usage examples, one involving the removal of paint, and the other involving the removal of a lady's clothes, but neither are used enough in English to have made it into the ODE.

Round 9: 50, 4, 9, 8, 8, 10. Target: 664.

C1: -
C2: 666. (9+4)*50+8+8 (7)
RR: 664. (8+8+50)*10+4 (10)
Score: 28–42 (max 76)

Ian looks like he's got it and sits back, then on about 24 seconds suddenly realises he's gone wrong and picks up his pen again. He can't get close enough in the last few seconds, and Joe beats him with two away, but at least he realised his mistake before declaring rather than afterwards. It illustrates the value of checking your working if you've got time to spare. You don't want to be the person who leans back, sips the water, looks bored, confidently declares spot on, then uses one of the numbers twice.

Teatime teaser: REDMARES -> DREAMERS

Round 10: R U T O P E H O Q

C1: TORQUE (6)
C2: toupee
OT: HOOPER (6) HOOTER (6) POTHER (6) POUTER (6) ROQUET (6) THORPE (6) TROUPE (6) UPROOT (6)
Score: 34–42 (max 82)

It may be an old Countdown favourite from Richard Whiteley's time, but you still need two Es for TOUPEE. So TORQUE puts Ian back in the game.

Round 11: D S S M A U E L T

C1: SALUTED (7)
C2: TUSSLED (7)
DC: AMULETS (7) ASSUMED (7) MEDUSAS (7)
OT: AULDEST (7) DAMSELS (7) DESALTS (7) MULETAS (7) SALUTES (7) TALUSES (7)
Score: 41–49 (max 89)

Splattery splattery splat.

Round 12: S G V R O I E C G

C1: GROVES (6)
C2: VOICES (6)
DC: CORGIS (6) SOGGIER (7)
OT: GEORGICS (8)
Score: 47–55 (max 97)

For now, CROGGIES^ is still confined to that lexicographical waiting room, the Urban Dictionary. But you can have GEORGICS. A GEORGIC is a poem or book dealing with rural topics such as agriculture.

Round 13: T L S P O A E I S

C1: opalises
C2: APOSTLES (8)
OT: ISOLATES (8) PISTOLES (8) SOAPIEST (8) TOPSAILS (8)
Score: 47–63 (max 105)

There's OPALINE, but not OPALISE, so Ian's gamble doesn't pay off. Joe spots APOSTLES to put himself 16 ahead. So all he needs is an easy numbers round and he's got the teapot.

Round 14: 4, 6, 10, 9, 10, 6. Target: 105.

C1: 105. 10*10+9-4 (10)
C2: 105. 10*10+6/6+4 (10)
Score: 57–73 (max 115)

But hang on, what's this? Joe picks 6 small. What's that all about? Never mind, it's still an easy numbers game.

Looking at the database, you might be surprised how many people have been more than ten ahead going into the last numbers round, then picked 6 small, and lost. The answer's none. Of the 31 previous times in the show's history when the player to pick in the last numbers round has been between 11 and 20 ahead and picked 6 small, it's never backfired on them.

Also on the subject of bad picking, in the 15-round era, only one player has messed up the chance of COUNTDOWN being available in a letters round by picking a final vowel instead of a consonant, and only one player has been more than ten ahead going into round 14, picked four large, and lost.

And yes, they're both the same player.

Anyway, where were we? We have a non-crucial conundrum.

Round 15: D A R T M A K E R

Ian buzzes on 6 seconds to say MARKETER which is incorrect.
Joe buzzes on 7 seconds to say TRADEMARK which is correct.
Final Score: 57–83 (max 125)

Ian realises his answer isn't right, but Joe gets it immediately afterwards to become the new occupant of the champion's chair and to bag himself a teapot. This week is yet another truncated week of Countdown, as the horses get in the way again between Wednesday and Friday, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel... next week is not only a full week, but the show will move back to its later time slot of 3.10. Okay, it's not 4.30, but it's a start. Glad to see Channel 4 have finally got their act together. See you next week.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=68