Monday 24th June 2013 (Series 68, QF 3)

[Graeme Cole]

Countdown recap for Monday 24 June 2013.

C1: #3 seed Eileen Taylor (8 wins, 754 points) first appeared on the show in 1991, losing by just one point. Then in April this year she returned to the show and won eight games, becoming the oldest octochamp in 30 years of Countdown.
C2: #6 seed Jill Hayward (3 wins, 374 points), got through three games, then in her fourth faced a certain Eileen Taylor, in the first game of what would become her octorun. Jill finished on the losing end despite scoring 98 points, but now she's found herself opposite Eileen again in the quarter-final, and she's got the chance to settle the score. And if anyone tells you Countdown is dominated by nerdy boy graduates "these days", then, well, they haven't been paying attention.
DC: Susie Dent and Myleene Klass.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: I U E N M T V R I
R02: T N R C A E I A D
R03: 25, 10, 7, 2, 9, 3. Target: 812.
TTT: NUTBREAD - "If you're this, then your head will never be short of material."
R04: N S J T E O E I L
R05: A A O S H R T Z E
R06: 75, 6, 2, 5, 3, 9. Target: 777.
R07: A U I R N D R N O
R08: Y P G M S E A E Q
R09: 100, 2, 10, 9, 3, 5. Target: 455.
TTT: INTERCUT - "Have a taste of your own medicine, perhaps?"
R10: R D B M O I A E G
R11: O E U S D M F K D
R12: N R S P A E O E D
R13: O E U R C V S X T
R14: 100, 10, 4, 4, 2, 7. Target: 829.
R15: H E S L A P Y O U (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:



Enjoy the show.


Round 1: I U E N M T V R I

C1: INTERIM (7)
C2: interim (misdeclared as 8)
DC: MINTIER (7)
OT: INVITER (7) MINIVER (7) MINIVET (7) RUNTIME (7) TERMINI (7) TRIVIUM (7) UNITIVE (7) UNRIVET (7) VENTURI (7) VITRINE (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)

"I think I've got an eight", says Jill. Sadly not.


Round 2: T N R C A E I A D

C1: CERTAIN (7)
C2: TRAINED (7)
DC: CARINATED (18)
OT: ERADICANT (18)
Score: 14–7 (max 25)

Jill is off the mark now, and Eileen keeps her lead, but there was the chance for one player to go significantly ahead with CARINATED or ERADICANT. Always worth remembering ERADICANT in case you can't remember whether it's CARINATE or CRANIATE that takes a D. Likewise ASCERTAIN with the S.


Round 3: 25, 10, 7, 2, 9, 3. Target: 812.

C1: 809. (3*10+2)*25+9 (7)
C2: 809. (3*10+2)*25+9 (7)
RR: 812. (25+2)*3*10+2 (10)
Score: 21–14 (max 35)

This numbers round is so tricky even Rachel doesn't solve it until after the break.


Teatime teaser: NUTBREAD -> TURBANED


Round 4: N S J T E O E I L

C1: STOLEN (6)
C2: JOINTS (6)
DC: TENSILE (7)
OT: ENTISOL (7) ESTOILE (7) LENITES (7) LISENTE (7) ONLIEST (7)
Score: 27–20 (max 42)

Myleene beats the contestants with TENSILE. Some exotic sevens were available, like LISENTE, which is the plural form of SENTE, which is a monetary unit in Lesotho.


Round 5: A A O S H R T Z E

C1: THROES (6)
C2: ASHORE (6)
DC: ERSATZ (6)
OT: EARSHOT (7) HOAREST (7)
Score: 33–26 (max 49)

Susie's knowledge of German gives us ERSATZ, which is used to describe a product that's an inferior substitute of another one. Eileen remains seven ahead.


Round 6: 75, 6, 2, 5, 3, 9. Target: 777.

C1: 777. 5*2*75+9*3 (10)
C2: -
Score: 43–26 (max 59)

Jill has got nothing on this one, so Eileen opens up a further lead. Still plenty of time to go, though.


Round 7: A U I R N D R N O

C1: ANDIRON (7)
C2: ANDIRON (7)
DC: AROUND (6)
Score: 50–33 (max 66)

Both our contestants spot the darrenic ANDIRON.


Round 8: Y P G M S E A E Q

C1: PAGES (5)
C2: GAMES (5)
DC: SAMEY (5)
OT: PAYEES (6)
Score: 55–38 (max 72)

Rubbish selection. I've seen Countdown board game selections better than that


Round 9: 100, 2, 10, 9, 3, 5. Target: 455.

C1: 455. 5*9*10+3+2 (10)
C2: 455. (100-10)*5+2+3 (10)
Score: 65–48 (max 82)

The People's Champion dispatches this numbers game without using the 100.


Teatime teaser: INTERCUT -> TINCTURE


Round 10: R D B M O I A E G

C1: BORAGE (6)
C2: EMBARGO (7)
DC: ABRIDGE (7)
OT: IDEOGRAM (8)
Score: 65–55 (max 90)

Aha, what's this? Jill pulls EMBARGO out of the bag to get within ten of Eileen.


Round 11: O E U S D M F K D

C1: SMOKED (6)
C2: MOUSED (6)
DC: DOUSED (6) KUDOS (5)
OT: DUKEDOMS (8)
Score: 71–61 (max 98)

And the next round is drawn, so Jill keeps the pressure on.


Round 12: N R S P A E O E D

C1: PADRONES (8)
C2: PONDERS (7)
DC: PANDERS (7)
OT: OPERANDS (8) PERSONAE (8) REASONED (8)
Score: 79–61 (max 106)

But Eileen makes a very late spot of PADRONES to go 18 ahead.


Round 13: O E U R C V S X T

C1: COVERTS (7)
C2: CURVES (6)
DC: CUTOVERS (8)
OT: COUVERTS (8)
Score: 86–61 (max 114)

Eileen isn't sure about COVERTS. Susie isn't sure about COVERTS. But the dictionary definitely is, and this puts the game beyond doubt in Eileen's favour.


Round 14: 100, 10, 4, 4, 2, 7. Target: 829.

C1: -
C2: 829. (100+4)*4*2-(10-7) (10)
Score: 86–71 (max 124)

Earlier on it was Jill who blanked the numbers for Eileen to clear up ten points, but now it's the other way round. Maybe Eileen's mind has already turned to how best to thrash Andy Platt.


Round 15: H E S L A P Y O U

Jill buzzes on 9 seconds to say PLAYHOUSE which is correct.
Final Score: 86–81 (max 134)

This time we were denied the crucial conundrum, but still a good game by both players. Jill's misdeclaration of INTERIM in the very first round proved decisive - but for that, everything else being the same, Jill would have won from 18 points down in the last two rounds, which hasn't been done in nearly four years. As it was, the rematch went the same way as Eileen and Jill's first meeting, and it's Eileen who will face Andy Platt in Thursday's semi-final.

The said Plattster will be recapping tomorrow's quarter-final between #4 and #5 seeds Joe McGonigle and Sam McElhinney, which happens to be Rachel's 1000th show. Can we reveal the name of the special guest who's going to turn up? It's Ryan Giggs. What's that? It's supposed to be a secret, you say? Poppycock. Surely there's nothing wrong with saying that after he's been named all over Twitter, right? Right?


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