Countdown recap for Tuesday 22 March 2011.
C1: Champion Andy McGurn (5 wins, 438 points.)
C2: Challenger Emily Finnan.
DC: Susie Dent and Donal McIntyre.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: M T R E A I C V Q
R02: T O C B A E S Y D
R03: L G N I E U L W P
R04: I D N I A L V I G
R05: 50, 25, 5, 3, 4, 4. Target: 832.
TTT: MOVERAKE - "Bowl a sixth ball for a new look"
R06: P U O R F K I E S
R07: D R T A U A M I E
R08: S G E I X F A T P
R09: S N P U A E H J O
R10: 75, 3, 6, 9, 8, 1. Target: 344.
TTT: SAMBALAD - "The lad doesn't samba he does another dance"
R11: M T L E U E S I A
R12: R O R I S E L H N
R13: D S T C E I O R A
R14: 7, 1, 9, 8, 9, 7. Target: 336.
R15: C H O M O D I T Y (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Andy McGurn has been swimming along quite nicely so far and hasn't been troubled too much other than the game with James Hall yesterday which was a close one. He's past the halfway mark on that long and winding road to octochampdom and will be hoping to record a sixth successive win today.
Emily Finnan is the opposition and she is from Ireland. Shock. It seems like every other contestant is Irish on this show nowadays. Perhaps someone has been out there recruiting up anagram lovers from the Emerald Isle and shipping them back over here.
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: M T R E A I C V Q
C1: METRIC (6)
C2: CREAM (5)
DC: ACTIVE (6)
OT: MATIER (6) MATRIC (6)
Score: 6–0 (max 6)
My comeback is christened with a very boring opening round. Emily CREAMs though.
Round 2: T O C B A E S Y D
C1: BOASTED (7)
C2: COASTED (7)
OT: SABOTED (7)
Score: 13–7 (max 13)
Another pretty boring round too as all 3 sevens are picked off with routine ease.
Round 3: L G N I E U L W P
C1: PULLING (7)
C2: PULLING (7)
DC: WELLING (7) UPWELLING (18)
Score: 20–14 (max 31)
Yay a 9. Quite an easy 9 to spot I thought since it is -ING but even Susie seemed surprise to find that it was a word. Anyway, Andy and Emily march on with PULLING.
Round 4: I D N I A L V I G
C1: INVALID (7)
C2: dialing
OT: VAILING (7)
Score: 27–14 (max 38)
The last two letters might as well have been discarded for this one as the max was available form the first 7 letters. By spotting that Andy moves further clear.
Round 5: 50, 25, 5, 3, 4, 4. Target: 832.
C1: 833.
C2: 832. (4*25+4)*(5+3) (10)
Score: 27–24 (max 48)
Andy was undoubtedly pissed off at missing this fairly routine numbers game but at least it makes the game more interesting as Emily closes the gap to just 3 points.
DC Guest Time: I can safely say I did not listen to Donal. I decided to take a slash at this point and not wash my hands.
Teatime teaser: MOVERAKE -> MAKEOVER
Round 6: P U O R F K I E S
C1: PROFUSE (7)
C2: PORKIES (7)
DC: SOUPIER (7)
Score: 34–31 (max 55)
Maxes all round. Round 7 here we come.
Round 7: D R T A U A M I E
C1: muriated
C2: TRAUMA (6)
DC: RADIATE (7) MATURED (7)
OT: AMATEUR (7) MURIATE (7) READMIT (7) URAEMIA (7)
Score: 34–37 (max 62)
I had URAEMIA which is clearly the pick of the bunch out of them 7's available /obnoxiousness. Andy falls into the trap of sticking a D on MURIATE and makes an even bigger mistake thinking it had 9 letters. Sort of like the other day when he thought he had a 9 but it was 8. Hard luck. That slip up means Emily leads for the first time in the game and Jack Hurst will be turning in his grave. "He's not dead yet" you say? I wouldn't be too sure.
Round 8: S G E I X F A T P
C1: FIXATES (7)
C2: PASTIE (6)
DC: EXPATS (6)
Score: 41–37 (max 69)
The Champ strikes back with a darrenic DC beater though to put to bed that previous round. All I could see was FAT PIG SEX. If only Jo Brand were in DC.
Round 9: S N P U A E H J O
C1: PAEONS (6)
C2: SHAPE (5)
OT: PHONES (6) UNHASP (6)
Score: 47–37 (max 75)
And PAEONS appears again so I'm a little disappointed that Emily didn't get this since she was probably around in the studios when it was mentioned by DC yesterday. PHONES was of course there too. Poor misses from Emz but at least she's only 10 points behind.
Susie's Piece: Susie talks about the word DREARY. Ironic.
Round 10: 75, 3, 6, 9, 8, 1. Target: 344.
C1: 344. (6-1)*(75-8)+9 (10)
C2: 346.
Score: 57–37 (max 85)
Andy reverses the roles from the first numbers game and takes all 10 points to himself. Quite a few ways to get to this one but the Irish lass fluffed it.
Teatime teaser: SAMBALAD -> LAMBADAS
Round 11: M T L E U E S I A
C1: METALS (6)
C2: MEALIEST (8)
DC: EMULATES (8)
OT: SIMULATE (8)
Score: 57–45 (max 93)
I could have sworn Andy was picking a final vowel for like SIMULATE. In fact I even typed it in the declaration box on the recap writer beforehand so was a little shocked when I had to delete it and enter a 6. Emily spots one of the 8's and so mounts a late comeback in this final third.
Round 12: R O R I S E L H N
C1: LORRIES (7)
C2: LORRIES (7)
DC: INSHORE (7) LORINERS (8)
Score: 64–52 (max 101)
Even stevens, just 3 rounds to go for Emz to make another dent in the 12 point deficit.
Round 13: D S T C E I O R A
C1: ASTEROID (8)
C2: cardios
DC: CAROTIDS (8)
OT: IDOCRASE (8) REDCOATS (8)
Score: 72–52 (max 109)
And I would say that is pretty much it over for Emily. If she'd played apterous then she's know that CARDIOS^=SARCOID and even more that CARDIOES^=IDOCRASE but alas she has not and it's Andy who has almost sealed his sixth win.
Round 14: 7, 1, 9, 8, 9, 7. Target: 336.
C1: 336. 8*7*(7-1) (10)
C2: -
Score: 82–52 (max 119)
Rachel is allowed to pick the numbers in this round and rightly goes for something that could throw up a little twist in the tail. Sadly for EMily she is out of her depth and Andy notches up another 10 points.
Round 15: C H O M O D I T Y
C1 buzzes on 16 seconds to say ITCHYMOOD which is incorrect.
C2 buzzes on 29 seconds to say "I just wanted to press the buzzer before I went" which is incorrect.
The answer was DICHOTOMY.
Final Score: 82–52 (max 129)
For the second day running I have laughed out loud (a-lol) on the conundrum round. What with James' buzzing yesterday and the whole wanker gesture and then today Andy buzzes in with ITCHYMOOD^ which is arguably a better scramble than CHOMODITY is. Then Emily buzzes in just so she can say she's pressed the buzzer. Anyway it goes over to the audience and Emily's brother solves the not too difficult DICHOTOMY to win himself a mug so they can sip Irish drinks from their Countdown mugs together. Emily's brother has a nice beard too.
Well played Andy, dipped a little bit on some rounds but was consistent enough to comfortably palm off Emily. Good job Emily didn't win or I'd have to say Emily palmed off Andy. Or would I? I just did. Unbelievable.
Now go watch Deal or No Deal you scallies.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=64