Tuesday 29 March 2011 (Series 64, Prelim 52)

[Rhys Benjamin]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 29 March 2011.

LB: Champion Len Bryon (1 win, 71 points.) The "fast-letters" man, who always seems to jump ahead of Rachel. So let's see if he can be one step ahead of his opponent today.
MG: Challenger Mark Gavin. A company director from Belfast, and is similar to Rachel..... because he has a Masters degree in Maths. In her own words, Rachel has met her match.
DC: Susie Dent and Paul Zenon.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: M N S A O E L P D
R02: T F S U I R O G S
R03: W S R A I O B R E
R04: T N R O I O S M A
R05: 75, 1, 9, 7, 2, 1. Target: 668.
TTT: HELPADAM - "This might help Adam see where he's going."
R06: D N C I E I G D R
R07: B T W O A E L N A
R08: K G P O I N L U E
R09: T L R A E A Z T D
R10: 50, 25, 3, 1, 3, 5. Target: 751.
TTT: VALETTIE - "Magically, Mr. Zenon can give you a lift."
R11: Q T R I U A V S M
R12: C X F E U E H S T
R13: H P T A E U S P N
R14: 25, 100, 7, 6, 7, 2. Target: 173.
R15: M O U S Y L I O N (conundrum)

Oh yes, and my Darren-o-meter (DOM) will set off on any Darrens, and a DC Max counter shall provide us with what DC said is the "max".

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE SCORES LOOK AWAY NOW
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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: M N S A O E L P D

LB: PEDALOS (7)
MG: PLANES (6)
DC: NEOPLASM (8)
OT: ENDOPLASM (18)
DOM: 1
Score: 7–0 (max 18, DC Max 8)

As Len can't pronounce PEDALOS, immediately the darren-o-meter is set off as Dictionary Corner mess up the first 3 letters of ENDOPLASM to create NEOPLASM. If only.... but a Max Game already been called off by the contestants and Dictionary Corner.

Round 2: T F S U I R O G S

LB: FRUITS (6)
MG: FRUITS (6)
DC: GROUTS (6) SUITORS (7)
DOM: 2
Score: 13–6 (max 25, DC Max 15)

And again. If we end up with 11 Darrens this afternoon, I'll eat my hat, because it's edible. Meanwhile we have 2 fruits.

Round 3: W S R A I O B R E

LB: BRAISE (6)
MG: BRIERS (6)
DC: BARROWS (7) BARRIOS (7)
OT: BROWSER (7) WORRIES (7)
DOM: 2
Score: 19–12 (max 32, DC Max 22)

If anyone remembers the Richard Whiteley Gotcha!, then they (including me, I have to admit) were probably jumping at their screens with, "Sabre!!!" All the F1 fans went, "Sauber.... oh wait, there's no U. Damn!"

Round 4: T N R O I O S M A

LB: MOIST (5)
MG: MAINS (5)
DC: MOONRATS (8)
OT: MONITORS (8) ORATIONS (8)
DOM: 2
Score: 24–17 (max 40, DC Max 30)

Hmmm.... As I type this, it is rather moist. My computer is plugged into the mains, so the contestants were thinking of me. How lovely. Sweeeeeeet!

Round 5: 75, 1, 9, 7, 2, 1. Target: 668.

LB: 668. 9 x 75 - 7 (10)
MG: 668. 9 x 75 - 7 (10)
Score: 34–27 (max 50, DC Max 40)

Simples.






PZ: Well, I started messing around with inventions and inventing things, and you know how much phones have come on lately, you know, Smart Phones and in my day is was the old-fashioned brick and in your [Jeff's] day it was probably 2 cans with a piece of string?

JS: Yeah, Yeah.

PZ: Well, I've done some inventing, and this is the most hi-tech phone you'll ever see. I call it the Z phone, OK, and it just looks like a piece of card, but the great thing about it is it's blank, because everyone likes different designs, you know, like Touch Screen, some people like buttons, and with this you can design your own. So what I'm going to do, is I'm going to stand up for this. Now it's called the Z phone [draws Z on piece of card] as you can tell by the logo. There. And I like nice, big, sort of buttons, so I'm going to draw big buttons on here, and we're going to use this in a second. So let me just fill that in. Also, you can use it as a camera phone as well, like that, or even video [draws a small circle then a big circle outside it], like that. Now we're er... I'm going to come back to that in a second, and what I'm going to do is to get a more conventional-looking load of cards. These ones here, right. I'm going to give them a quick mix and then flick through. I'm going to flick my thumb through, like that, and just tell me when to stop, Susie. And we've got the 3 of hearts, which is as good as anything. What I need you to do, Susie, is to write your name on the card. Nice and big. Now obviously I know your name, so do it in some kind of distinctive writing.

SD: OK. [She writes]

PZ: Right. I don't think I would be able to forge that in a hurry! And just to make sure, to make really random as well, erm, Len, give us a number from one to ten.

LB: 7.

PZ: 7, and let me write that on there, another one.

LB: 6.

PZ: 6, OK. Now I think you'll agree, that's pretty distinctive on there. [Blows on it]. Now hopefully that's gonna dry. Now what I'm going to do is mix that up there. Obviously, you've seen card tricks before, like you pick a card, I find it. Not that impressive when it's got your name on it. Quite often, he makes a card vanish, and then pulls it out of his pocket or from behind his ear. We're going to try a trick where I make your card disappear, and make it appear in Australia.

SD: [Laughs].

PZ: Instantly. Sounds like nonsense, but we're gonna do it. We're gonna use my Z Phone with it, OK?

SD: OK.

PZ: Now, what I'm going to do is to phone my mate, who's called Bruce, you'll be surprised to know! [Taps on Z-Phone randomly] [On Phone]Yep? Yep, Bruce, Yep, Yeah, I know it's late, sorry to wake you, mate. You know that card trick we set up, right? I'm doing it now. Right. You ready? The card's going to disappear from this pack, here. It's going to appear... now. You got it? OK, and it is there! That's amazing, isn't it(!) I tell you what, I'm going to use hands-free for a second [Licks card and sticks it on his cheek.] Now if you have a look through that pack, you'll find it's disappeared, right. You probably don't believe that Bruce has got it, right? So, Bruce, do me one last favour, OK? Can you take a picture of the card, and send me a picture message? Yeah, quick as you can. Yep, I just felt it vibrate. OK. Well done. Thanks. Sorry about the Ashes. [hangs up] Wow, and it is a really good resolution on this screen, as well. Right, have a look at that! [The card is on the phone].




Teatime teaser: HELPADAM -> This might help Adam see where he's going.
Answer: HEADLAMP

Well, I hope Adam Gillard stumbles into this teaser.

Round 6: D N C I E I G D R

LB: RIDDING (7)
MG: DECIDING (8)
DC: DINGIER (7)
OT: DERIDING (8)
DOM: 2
Score: 34–35 (max 58, DC Max 48)

A sensational 8 from Mark, there. Now it's neck and neck!

Round 7: B T W O A E L N A

LB: BOLT (4)
MG: TABLE (5)
DC: NOTABLE (7) TOWABLE (7) ABALONE (7)
DOM: 2
Score: 34–40 (max 65, DC Max 55)

As Len bolts across Mark's table, DC find 3 sevens.

Round 8: K G P O I N L U E

LB: POKING (6)
MG: OPINE (5)
DC: ELOPING (7)
OT: LOUPING (7)
DOM: 2
Score: 40–40 (max 72, DC Max 62)

Ouch.

Round 9: T L R A E A Z T D

LB: RATTLED (7)
MG: RATTLED (7)
DC: LAZARET (7)
DOM: 2
Score: 47–47 (max 79, DC Max 69)

Len and Mark rattle along to 47 each. So.... 6 round to go and all to play for!


SD: Well, I've been looking, as you know, the unlikely histories of some of our everyday words and phrases, and today's all about a string. If you're the first string in a group, you're the best and the most important and that comes from the symphony orchestra, but in fact it comes from the military, not musical. The first string was the bow used by an archer in battle and the second string was his back-up. If someone's wound up a little too tightly a bit, they may be called highly strung, and the source of that too was the archer's bow. From there, the strings of the body came to mean its nerves, and to be strung out is to be weak or ill. Or was, originally. And just to round off the history of string, from 2 centuries, from the 16th to the 18th centuries, the first meaning of the word was the hangman's throat, an expression to go to heaven in a string were referred to the juveniles who were hanged during the reign of Elizabeth I.




Round 10: 50, 25, 3, 1, 3, 5. Target: 751.

LB: 750.
MG: 751. 3 x 5 x 50 + 1 (10)
Score: 47–57 (max 89, DC Max 79)

Simples once again, but that'll be a kick in the teeth for Len.



Teatime teaser: VALETTIE -> Magically, Mr. Zenon can give you a lift.
Answer: LEVITATE

Round 11: Q T R I U A V S M

LB: TRUISM (6)
MG: SQUIRT (6)
DC: MARQUIS (7) ATRIUMS (7)
OT: MATSURI (7)
DOM: 2
Score: 53–63 (max 96, DC Max 86)

A squirt of truism there. The truth being that the contestants can be beaten.

Round 12: C X F E U E H S T

LB: CHEST (5)
MG: CHUTES (6)
DC: FETCHES (7)
DOM: 3
Score: 53–69 (max 103, DC Max 93)

The first Darren since Round 2 will give DC that little extra, but Mark is starting to run away from a bad start.

Round 13: H P T A E U S P N

LB: heaths
MG: HAPPENS (7)
DC: PEANUTS (7)
OT: HAPTENS (7) PUPATES (7)
DOM: 3
Score: 53–76 (max 110, DC Max 100)

Hats off to Mark today. From 7 points down after Round 5 to give some of that extra good feeling.

Round 14: 25, 100, 7, 6, 7, 2. Target: 173.

LB: -
MG: 172. 7 x 7 + 25 + 100 - 2 (7)
RR: 173. 25 x 7 - 2 (10)
Score: 53–83 (max 120, DC Max 110)

Now THAT's how you get a kick in the teeth.

Round 15: M O U S Y L I O N

C2 buzzes on 14.5 seconds to say OMINOUSLY which is correct.
Final Score: 53–93 (max 130)

Well, I don't think the Countdown teapot has ever been given as a Anniversary present before, but that's What Len intends to do!

Please offer feedback on the recap below.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=64
http://wiki.apterous.org/Series_64

[James Robinson]

Not a bad attempt, Rhys, but there are a couple of errors.

LB: Champion Len Bryon (1 win, 79 points.)

71, I think you'll find.

Round 3: W S R A I O B R E

LB: BRAISE (6)
MG: BRIERS (6)
DC: BARROWS (7) BARRIOS (7)
OT: BROWSER (7) WORRIES (7)
DOM: 2
Score: 19–12 (max 32, DC Max 22)

If anyone remembers the Richard Whiteley Gotcha!, then they (including me, I have to admit) were probably jumping at their screens with, "Saber!!!" All the F1 fans went, "Sauber.... oh wait, there's no U. Damn!"

I always thought it was BRIARS, but after further investigation, I've found that both are valid and mean the same thing, so I'll let you off. Also saber is SABRE.

Oh, and submit the recap next time, I've done it for you this time.

Apart from that it's all good.

[Rhys Benjamin]

Not a bad attempt, Rhys, but there are a couple of errors.

LB: Champion Len Bryon (1 win, 79 points.)

71, I think you'll find.

Edited.

Round 3: W S R A I O B R E

LB: BRAISE (6)
MG: BRIERS (6)
DC: BARROWS (7) BARRIOS (7)
OT: BROWSER (7) WORRIES (7)
DOM: 2
Score: 19–12 (max 32, DC Max 22)

If anyone remembers the Richard Whiteley Gotcha!, then they (including me, I have to admit) were probably jumping at their screens with, "Saber!!!" All the F1 fans went, "Sauber.... oh wait, there's no U. Damn!"

I always thought it was BRIARS, but after further investigation, I've found that both are valid and mean the same thing, so I'll let you off. Also saber is SABRE.

Also, submit the recap next time, I've done it for you
I did that...


Apart from that it's all good.

Done. With BRIERS, I did a simple trick that not many people have ever picked up on - so it was BRIERS. (Subtitles if anyone's wondering.)

[James Robinson]

Also, submit the recap next time, I've done it for you
I did that...

Don't forget, the default is Series 63, not 64.....

EDIT: Just double-checked, you just must have forgotten.

[Peter Mabey]

Round 2: .... Meanwhile we have 2 fruits.

Did you notice the look Len gave Jeff when he said "two fruits here!"?

[Rhys Benjamin]

Round 2: .... Meanwhile we have 2 fruits.

Did you notice the look Len gave Jeff when he said "two fruits here!"?

Yes, I did..... didn't think it was significant enough though!

[Adam Gillard]

Teatime teaser: HELPADAM -> This might help Adam see where he's going.
Answer: HEADLAMP

Well, I hope Adam Gillard stumbles into this teaser.

I'm famous! (eat that, Fleetwood!) (and any other less famous Adams) (in the world of Rhys Benjamin) (close brackets)

[Rhys Benjamin]

What do y'all think about the transcriptions?

[Mike Brown]

What do y'all think about the transcriptions?

Since you ask... impressive work, but probably wasted on most people. It reminds me of my somewhat obsessive note-taking during Series 5 and 6, which I was weaned off by going to university! I say go for it if you want, but I don't know how many people will make use of it to be honest, Rhys.