Monday 7th March 2011 (Series 64, Prelim 41)

[Marcus Hares]

Countdown recap for Monday 7 March 2011.

Jeff introduces the week by observing that in a global happiness poll, Nigerians are the happiest people on earth with a rating of 70 happiness points while Britain lags behind on 44 happiness points - it's amazing how happy people are who live in a country rife with poverty, corruption and violence but if you want to be even happier then head to Nigeria!

C1: Champion Michelle Nevitt (3 wins, 223 points.) Michelle is bidding to become the first female to win 4 on the bounce since Heather Driver (who won 5) way back in September last year - she's a customer service advisor from Glasgow and is an avid reader, she especially likes horror books while her favourite actor is Al Pacino.
C2: Challenger Craig Laurenson. It's an all Scottish affair today because Craig hails from Shetland but is currently studying media communication at Glasgow's Caledonian University - he would ultimately like to work in TV production and has met several royals including Charles, Camilla and even the Queen.
DC: Susie Dent and John Parrott.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S A O W G O H D E
R02: G P F A O V D E S
R03: R A L T O D M U E
R04: Z T C I A T E R F
R05: 100, 1, 7, 9, 3, 4. Target: 892.
TTT: AMANSHIP - "It's not a man's hip, it's a woman's scarf"
R06: S N G M U O A D E
R07: C A R N N I E Y P
R08: C V S A E D T I H
R09: S E R N I O T R P
R10: 100, 2, 4, 3, 2, 8. Target: 969.
TTT: LOSESOAR - "There are no genies in these, just little squirts"
R11: X E A S P O T W U
R12: L N N G E A I B N
R13: L O E R M R E U N
R14: 25, 8, 8, 6, 7, 7. Target: 266.
R15: D R I E D S A G E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S A O W G O H D E

C1: WASHED (6)
C2: WASHED (6)
DC: SHOWED (6) GOOSED (6)
OT: WOOSHED (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)

Our contestants settle in with solid 6's - DC also mention a couple others, but the darrenic 7 goes unnoticed.

Round 2: G P F A O V D E S

C1: PODGES (6)
C2: SOAPED (6)
DC: GASPED (6) DOSAGE (6)
OT: DAGOES (6) VADOSE (6)
Score: 12–12 (max 13)

More 6's in a pretty flat round - in Physical Geography VADOSE means of, relating to, or being water that is located in the zone of aeration in the earth's crust above the ground water level.

Round 3: R A L T O D M U E

C1: ROULADE (7)
C2: ROUTE (5)
DC: MODULATE (8) EMULATOR (8)
Score: 19–12 (max 21)

Michelle opens up the first gap with a sweet spot, but DC go one better twice with a fabulous pair of 8's.

Round 4: Z T C I A T E R F

C1: CATTIER (7)
C2: CATTIER (7)
DC: FATTIER (7)
OT: TRIFECTA (8)
Score: 26–19 (max 29)

But they fail to spot this super 8 - a TRIFECTA is a system of betting in which the bettor must pick the first three winners in the correct sequence, otherwise known as a "triple".

Round 5: 100, 1, 7, 9, 3, 4. Target: 892.

C1: 892. (100 x 9) - 7 - 1 (10)
C2: 892. (100 x 9) - 7 - 1 (10)
Score: 36–29 (max 39)

None too taxing first numbers game here as both contestants scoop 10pts.

Former world snooker champion John Parrott returns to Dictionary Corner for a 3rd stint and by jove has he witnessed some stunning performances in the past - John has been named Honorary Patron of the Crown Green Bowling Association and reveals that he used to play it regularly before getting into snooker, winning a few trophies as a junior and even competing at national finals.

Teatime teaser: AMANSHIP -> PASHMINA

Round 6: S N G M U O A D E

C1: MOUNDS (6)
C2: MANGOES (7)
DC: DAEMONS (7)
OT: MASONED (7) MENUDOS (7) OSMUNDA (7)
Score: 36–36 (max 46)

Some tricky 7's around but Craig manages to find one of them to draw level with our champion - MENUDOS are traditional Mexican soups or Filipino meat stews. In botany OSMUNDA is a genus of primarily temperate-zone ferns of the family Osmundaceae.

Round 7: C A R N N I E Y P

C1: CANNIER (7)
C2: CANNIER (7)
DC: CANNERY (7) PANNIER (7)
OT: CAPRINE (7) PINNACE (7)
Score: 43–43 (max 53)

More 7's on offer - both contestants follow up their CATTIER offerings from round 4 with CANNIER, a good old Scottish (and Geordie) word notes Susie. CAPRINE means of, relating to, or characteristic of a goat. A PINNACE is a light boat propelled by sails or oars, formerly used as a tender for merchant and war vessels. Let's hope the next round yields something more exciting than more 7's...

Round 8: C V S A E D T I H

C1: DITCHES (7)
C2: DITCHES (7)
DC: ACHIEST (7) AITCHES (7)
OT: ACTIVES (7) ADVECTS (7) ADVICES (7) DATIVES (7) SCATHED (7)
Score: 50–50 (max 60)

...that'll be a no then - both Michelle and Craig plump for the same one again.

Round 9: S E R N I O T R P

C1: PROTEINS (8)
C2: POINTERS (8)
DC: REPOINTS (8) PRINTERS (8)
OT: INTRORSE (8) PRISONER (8) REPRINTS (8) SPORTIER (8) SPRINTER (8)
Score: 58–58 (max 68)

This is more like it - nine 8's here but we can't quite stretch to that elusive 9er - in botany (again), INTRORSE means to face inward, turned toward the axis, used especially of anthers.

Susie's Origins of Words explores the proverb "lightning never strikes twice" - tell that to the poor chap who got struck 7 times in his lifetime before shooting himself, only in America.

Round 10: 100, 2, 4, 3, 2, 8. Target: 969.

C1: -
C2: 976. ((8 + 2) x 100) - (4 x 2 x 3) (5)
RR: 970. (100 - 3) x (8 + 2) (7)
Score: 58–63 (max 75)

Oh dear - for the first time since her first game, Michelle goes behind by declaring absolutely nothing while Craig is close enough to collect 5pts. Rachel's 970 was the closest you could get to the target here.

Teatime teaser: LOSESOAR -> AEROSOLS

Round 11: X E A S P O T W U

C1: EXPATS (6)
C2: EXPATS (6)
DC: EXPATS (6)
OT: SEXPOT (6)
Score: 64–69 (max 81)

Both contestants declare "risky" 6's but DC are having none of it - absolutely fine, as is SEXPOT yay! Michelle is still 5pts adrift though and really could do with one of her awesome darrenic 8's, hmmm....

Round 12: L N N G E A I B N

C1: ENABLING (8)
C2: LEANING (7)
DC: ENABLING (8)
Score: 72–69 (max 89)

....woop! Right on cue she doesn't disappoint us and nabs the lead back.

Round 13: L O E R M R E U N

C1: MOURNER (7)
C2: LEMON (5)
DC: MOURNER (7)
Score: 79–69 (max 96)

And she's not done there, another darrenic find extends her lead to 10pts, a healthy but not insurmountable lead going into the final numbers game.

Round 14: 25, 8, 8, 6, 7, 7. Target: 266.

C1: -
C2: -
RR: 266*. (25 + 7 + 6) x 7 (10)
Score: 79–69 (max 106)

What a stinker - neither contestant offers anything. *Rachel didn't spot this method until after the conundrum though - she could only get to 265 in the allowed time, but we didn't hear how - possibly ((25 + 8) x 8) + 7 - 6), we'll never know. Anyways, game is still on for Craig who can take this game into a tie-break by spotting the conundrum and let's not forget that Michelle hasn't managed to spot one yet.

Round 15: D R I E D S A G E

C1 buzzes on 24 seconds to say DISAGREED which is correct.
Final Score: 89–69 (max 116)

Just as it looked as if Michelle would never get a conundrum she swoops in with 6 seconds to spare to correctly identify DISAGREED and extends her winning streak to 4 games - her 89pt tally is her highest score to date and she also moves up to #4 seed as a result. Michelle's had some narrow victories to date and while this was another crucial conundrum she ran out a winner by the most convincing margin yet. Could Michelle become the first non-apterite octochamp since series 61? Four down, four to go....

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=64

[Adam Gillard]

Could Michelle become the first non-apterite octochamp since series 61?

At the time of filming, yes, but seems like she's just discovered apterous tonight.