Friday 15 November 2002 (Series 48, Prelim 85)

[Chris Philpot]

Countdown Recap - Friday 15 November 2002 (Series 48, Prelim 85)

Champion (C1): Mary Sexton (2 wins, 161 points) from London
Challenger (C2): Campbell Laurie from Scotland
DC: Susie Dent and the wizard that is Geoffrey Durham
CV: Carol Vorderman
OT: Other words, solutions and tripe

Test yourself with the mini-recap:

R01: U P T A O X I M E
R02: S G D E I L H R O
R03: T A G N E T S L A
R04: V T R C U I O P A
R05: 100, 8, 1, 9, 7, 3 --> Target: 959
TTT: HALTSET
R06: H S I O G T L A W
R07: R T N L T E O I D
R08: L M R C E A D G E
R09: S V I O A L D S O
R10: 6, 3, 8, 4, 2, 9 --> Target: 527
TTT: RATEQUO
R11: U A E D N C I R T
R12: N R Y M O I I E U
R13: S F A O E M S I B
R14: 3, 10, 9, 4, 7, 5 --> Target: 487
R15: S S C U D D I E S (conundrum)

Did Mary win her third or will Campbell prove to be soup-er?

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: U P T A O X I M E

C1: IMPUTE (6)
C2: AXIOM (5)
DC: OPIATE (6)
OT: UPTIME (6) and OPTIMA (6) were optimal.
Score: 6–0 (max 6)

Round 2: S G D E I L H R O

C1: goldier
C2: GLORIED (7)
DC: GLIDERS (7), HOLDERS (7) and SOLDIER (7)
OT: Seven more sevens, including LODGERS (7) and OGREISH (7)
Score: 6–7 (max 13)

Round 3: T A G N E T S L A

C1: TANGLES (7)
C2: TANGLES (7)
DC: LASAGNE (7) is a tasty seven, but there's an eight in STAGNATE (8)
OT: ATLANTES (8) equals DC's effort, and they're supports sculpted in the form of a man.
Score: 13–14 (max 21)

Round 4: V T R C U I O P A

C1: CROUP (5)
C2: outpair
DC: APRICOT (7) and PAVIOUR (7)
Score: 18–14 (max 28)

Round 5: 100, 8, 1, 9, 7, 3 --> Target: 959

C1: 959 = 100 × 9 + 8 × 7 + 3 (10)
C2: 959 = (100 + 7) × 9 - 3 - 1 (10)
Score: 28–24 (max 38)

Teatime teaser: HALTSET --> STEALTH

Round 6: H S I O G T L A W

C1: ALIGHT (6)
C2: SLIGHT (6)
DC: Mary will have been kicking herself after missing ALIGHTS (7) for seven.
OT: GOATISH (7) isn't half baaaaahd.
Score: 34–30 (max 45)

Round 7: R T N L T E O I D

C1: DOTTLE (6)
C2: LOITER (6)
DC: LENTOID (7)
OT: A few more sevens, including DOTTIER (7), TENDRIL and TRIOLET (7).
Score: 40–36 (max 52)

Round 8: L M R C E A D G E

C1: CREAMED (7)
C2: GRACED (6)
DC: CLEARED (7) and its first anagram DECLARE (7), GLEAMED (7), and REGALED (7)
OT: CLEARED's other anagram CREEDAL (7), and EMERALD (7) makes me green with envy.
Score: 47–36 (max 59)

Round 9: S V I O A L D S O

C1: OVOIDS (6)
C2: AVOIDS (6)
DC: SALVOS (6) and SOLIDS (6)
OT: DOSSAL (6), LADOOS (6) and VIOLAS (6) (which was almost spelt out), but six is the max.
Score: 53–42 (max 65)

Round 10: 6, 3, 8, 4, 2, 9 --> Target: 527

C1: 533
C2: 530 = (9 × 6 - 4 + 3) × (8 + 2) (7)
CV: 527 = (9 + 2) × 8 × 6 - 4 + 3 (10)
Score: 53–49 (max 75)

Teatime teaser: RATEQUO --> EQUATOR

Round 11: U A E D N C I R T

C1: CURTAINED (18)
C2: CURTAINED (18)
Score: 71–67 (max 93)

Round 12: N R Y M O I I E U

C1: MOURN (5)
C2: MOURN (5)
DC: IRONY (5), MOIRE (5) and MONEY (5)
OT: A trio of DC beaters: MERINO (6), MORINE (6) and MURINE (6)
Score: 76–72 (max 99)

Round 13: S F A O E M S I B

C1: AMISS (5)
C2: FOAMS (5)
OT: DC are two off the max this time: EMBOSS (6) is there for six but BIOMASS (7) is a Darrenic seven.
Score: 81–77 (max 106)

Round 14: 3, 10, 9, 4, 7, 5 --> Target: 487

C1: 487 = (9 × 5 + 4) × 10 - 3 (10)
C2: 487 = (9 + 3) × 4 × 10 + 7 (10)
Score: 91–87 (max 116)

Round 15: S S C U D D I E S

C2 buzzes on 2 seconds to say DISCUSSED... and he takes the game!
Score: 91–97 (max 126)

Monday's DC guest: Bob 'The Cat' Bevan

This recap was sculpted by the ever artistic Chris Philpot. Additional summaries for Series 48 can be found at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=48

[Mike Brown]

Nice additional commentary on your historical recaps, Chris. Good stuff.