Well, it's nice to be back in action, especially as we have another cool guy from the Aptocrew making his début today.
So, let's get going and enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 5 June 2013.
C1: Champion Chris Ball (3 wins, 267 points.) A retired teaching assistant from Chellaston, Derbyshire.
C2: Challenger Glen Webb. An Apterite from Cradley Heath, West Midlands. He is a financial advisor, but for 6 years, he worked on the official website for the Eurovision Song Contest, doing backstage work, such as interviewing the singers.
(Interestingly, this isn't Glen's first appearance on the show, as he won 2 games back in Series 23 in 1992, but not only that, he actually qualified as the #8 seed for the finals, losing to the eventual champion, Gareth Williams. (To me, it does seem a bit controversial letting a previous finalist return, even if he did only win 2 games to reach the finals, but I'll leave that for you to discuss with yourselves.))DC: Susie Dent and Helen Skelton.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: D T Q O A I S M E
R02: R N T L I A O S E
R03: 50, 2, 3, 8, 9, 1. Target: 792.
TTT: TURNDIRE - "Things can turn dire if you find one of these at home"
R04: Z P N B A U O D A
R05: S T R O E A L M R
R06: 25, 1, 6, 10, 7, 1. Target: 549.
R07: H N S I U A K T E
R08: R N V G O E I N S
R09: 75, 9, 4, 10, 2, 10. Target: 738.
TTT: PRAYLESS - "It sounds like the herb is spread a bit thin"
R10: L P F S E O A J R
R11: T D S E E U R X N
R12: M R V T E I A P G
R13: R Y F E O A C D W
R14: 25, 8, 9, 10, 4, 3. Target: 481.
R15: L A R D N M A S H (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: D T Q O A I S M E
C1: MOIST (5)
C2: ATOMISED (8)
DC: taoism MODISTE (7) MASTOID (7)
Score: 0–8 (max 8)
A bit of a damp start from Chris, but Glen is off to a superb start with the darrenic 8.
Round 2: R N T L I A O S E
C1: RELATIONS (18)
C2: RELATIONS (18)
DC: ORIENTALS (18) TENSORIAL (18)
Score: 18–26 (max 26)
You don't need to be a
, or a , or even a to get a 9 from this lot. 
Although, there is a little bit of oddness from Nick, who seems blissfully unaware that ORIENTAL can be used as an offensive term in some parts of the world..............Round 3: 50, 2, 3, 8, 9, 1. Target: 792.
C1: 792. ((9 - 1) x 2 x 50) - 8 (10)
C2: 792. ((9 - 1) x 2 x 50) - 8 (10)
Score: 28–36 (max 36)
A nice and easy numbers game helps proceedings move along nicely too.
Teatime teaser: TURNDIRE -> INTRUDER
Round 4: Z P N B A U O D A
C1: ABOUND (6)
C2: ABOUND (6)
DC: PANDA (5) POUND (5) PONZU (5)
Score: 34–42 (max 42)
Double darren time, while Nick mentions ORIENTAL again in RELATION to PONZU.
Round 5: S T R O E A L M R
C1: ROASTER (7)
C2: REALTORS (8)
DC: ROTAMERS (8)
OT: REARMOST (8) RELATORS (8)
Score: 34–50 (max 50)
Glen goes American to get another good 8 to take him up to a perfect half-century.
Round 6: 25, 1, 6, 10, 7, 1. Target: 549.
C1: 549. ((10 + 6 + 7 - 1) x 25) - 1 (10)
C2: 549. ((10 + 6 + 7 - 1) x 25) - 1 (10)
Score: 44–60 (max 60)
And another easy numbers there means that Glen is flawless at the moment.
Helen talks about a trip to India, where she met some children with cleft lips, but was irritated by an squeaking sound, which turned out to be the little brother of one of the cleft lip children, who had squeaky dog toys in his shoes, so that he couldn't get lost.
Round 7: H N S I U A K T E
C1: HANKIES (7)
C2: HUNKIEST (8)
DC: SHITAKE (7) SAKE (4)
Score: 44–68 (max 68)
That must have been nice for Glen to hear Susie say "as in, the HUNKIEST man in the world".
But, it's another fantastic darren and it's 7 maxes out of 7 now And carrying on with the ORIENTAL theme are the discoveries of SHITAKE and SAKE. Round 8: R N V G O E I N S
C1: GOVERNS (7)
C2: oversing
DC: ENVIRONS (8) NERVING (7)
OT: VIGNERONS (18)
Score: 51–68 (max 86)
Oh dear, although in fairness to Glen, it was a reasonable, especially as he has had to listen to all those people "singing" at Eurovision for the last few years.
But, there was an impressive 9 missed by all here. A VIGNERON is a winemaker, quite simply.
Round 9: 75, 9, 4, 10, 2, 10. Target: 738.
C1: 738. (75 x 10) - 10 - 2 (10)
C2: 738. (75 x 10) - 10 - 2 (10)
Score: 61–78 (max 96)
A 3rd simple numbers on the spin, and Glen's scoring is edging closer to the century mark, but Chris is still sticking close to Glen, so don't rule her out yet.
Teatime teaser: PRAYLESS -> SPARSELY
Round 10: L P F S E O A J R
C1: LOAFERS (7)
C2: PAROLES (7)
DC: FLARES (6)
OT: FELSPAR (7) REPOSAL (7)
Score: 68–85 (max 103)
2 simple 7's here yet again. This is going to be a high scoring game methinks.
Round 11: T D S E E U R X N
C1: TURNED (6)
C2: TENDERS (7)
DC: RESTED (6) EXTRUDES (8)
OT: DENTURES (8) SEDERUNT (8) UNRESTED (8)
Score: 68–92 (max 111)
Another spot of brilliance there from Glen, although there are a few beaters this time, including EXTRUDES, which gets quite a talking about in the studio.
A SEDERUNT is a sitting of a church assembly or other body.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "barbarous".
Round 12: M R V T E I A P G
C1: PRIVATE (7)
C2: VAMPIRE (7)
DC: PRIMATE (7) VIRGATE (7)
OT: EPIGRAM (7) MIGRATE (7) RAGTIME (7) VAMPIER (7)
Score: 75–99 (max 118)
Sevens aplenty in this one, as Glen approaches the century mark.
An EPIGRAM is any witty, ingenious, or pointed saying tersely expressed.
Round 13: R Y F E O A C D W
C1: FRAYED (6)
C2: FORCED (6)
DC: COWARDY (7) FORAYED (7)
OT: FEODARY (7)
Score: 81–105 (max 125)
Glen has the game sewn up with his FORCED 6, while a couple of the three available 7's are picked up by DC, including the odd sounding COWARDY.
A FEODARY is a feudal vassal (a person granted the use of land, in return for rendering homage, fealty, and usually military service or its equivalent to a lord or other superior; feudal tenant).
Round 14: 25, 8, 9, 10, 4, 3. Target: 481.
C1: 481. ((10 + 9) x 25) + ((8 / 4) x 3) (10)
C2: 481. (((8 x 3) - 4) x 25) - 10 - 9 (10)
Score: 91–115 (max 135)
A difference of method this time by Chris and Glen, but it's 10 points each, and Chris' score of 91 is currently her 2nd highest of her run, and if she gets the conundrum, it'll be her highest score of the lot
(Are we going to have the first double-ton preliminary since this legendary game, I wonder 
) Round 15: L A R D N M A S H
C2 buzzes on 28.5 seconds to say MARSHLAND which is correct.
Final Score: 91–125 (max 145)
Alas no, but what a late spot by Glen to take his score up to an impressive 125
Interestingly, today is the one year anniversary of this game, which had the lowest combined score of 86 points. And one year on, both players scored OVER 86 points
Quite a feat it has to be said!!
Chris played fantastically and to lose with 91 points is super unfortunate, but Nick mentions at the end that she has qualified for the finals, but that's partially because of a withdrawal, which we'll mention at the end of next week, when the finals begin.
What a fantastic start to my return in the recappers' hotseat, and hopefully there'll be plenty more to come from Glen.
Join me tomorrow for the next installment in this series.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Chris:
Total score - 91
Raw score - 116
Total % of max - 63
Raw % of max - 80
Total average score per round - 6.1
Raw average score per round - 7.7
Number of maxes - 8
Glen:
Total score - 125
Raw score - 125
Total % of max - 86
Raw % of max - 86
Total average score per round - 8.3
Raw average score per round - 8.3
Number of maxes - 12
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=68