C1: Champion Andrew Halliburton (2 wins, 181 points.)
C2: Challenger Magnus Mackereth.
DC: Susie Dent and Michael Vaughan.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: V L S A O E N T A
R02: G N R D O A E S R
R03: T M S I A E L N G
R04: R I O M S A I T O
R05: 75, 100, 25, 10, 2, 9. Target: 476.
TTT: SOMESITS - "It describes the stone that didn't roll very much"
R06: E A R N O S T H E
R07: W S L I E U R C T
R08: J E O C R E A S D
R09: K T F O E I N C M
R10: 75, 100, 5, 8, 6, 5. Target: 449.
TTT: TRUEMEAN - "To find the true mean of something, you'll need to be this."
R11: W F Y E A U D R L
R12: Z S R E I B M E P
R13: X T G A O E P B D
R14: 6, 7, 8, 6, 9, 4. Target: 391.
R15: O D D F U N B U M (conundrum)
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Back for his third game is Apterite and scrabbler Drew Halliburton from Dundee. His opposition today is Magnus Mackereth from Newcastle-upon -Tyne, a volunteer worker who, along with his wife, believes in "earth healing" . This involves being "guided by intuition" to various places around the world where they can "channel healing energy" from the universe.
I'm guessing that finding a decent package deal probably had a big influence on their intuition. Magnus's wife will be appearing later in the series. Should be fun.Round 1: V L S A O E N T A
C1: SOLVENT (7)
C2: SLANT (5)
DC: SOLVENT (7) SAVANTE (7)
OT: ETALONS (7) LEVANTS (7) NOVATES (7) SEALANT (7) SOLVATE (7) VALETAS (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)
Magnus's early slip means that Drew can bank a seven point lead.
To LEVANT means to run off without paying a debt . A VALETA is a ballroom dance.
Round 2: G N R D O A E S R
C1: DANGERS (7)
C2: ORANGES (7)
DC: GROANERS (8)
OT: ADORNERS (8)
Score: 14–7 (max 15)
Safe sevens from both players, while DC spot one of the 2 eights.
Round 3: T M S I A E L N G
C1: STEAMING (8)
C2: stealing
DC: LIGAMENTS (18)
Score: 22–7 (max 33)
Magnus misdeclares an eight as a seven (which nobody seems to notice as DC spot the nine), while Drew steams further ahead.
Round 4: R I O M S A I T O
C1: TRIMS (5)
C2: ROOTS (5)
DC: MOTORS (6) AMORIST (7)
Score: 27–12 (max 40)
Flat round from both contestants while DC spot the sole seven AMORIST (a person who is in , or writes about, love).
Round 5: 75, 100, 25, 10, 2, 9. Target: 476.
C1: 475. ((9*100)/2)+25 (7)
C2: 475. ((10/2)*75)+100 (7)
RR: 476. ((100-(75/25))*(10/2))-9 (10)
Score: 34–19 (max 50)
Both players declare 1 away, so it's left to Rachel to show them how its done. And was it just me, or did Magnus's numbers seem fudged?.
Guest Michael Vaughan talks about cricket, something I know very little about, so we'll move on.
Teatime teaser: SOMESITS -> MOSSIEST
Clue:"It describes the stone that didn't roll very much"
Round 6: E A R N O S T H E
C1: THRONES (7)
C2: HORNETS (7)
DC: HEARTENS (8)
OT: RESONATE (8)
Score: 41–26 (max 58)
7's from both players leave Drew still sitting pretty, while DC again spot one of the 2 eights.
Round 7: W S L I E U R C T
C1: CURLIEST (8)
C2: CURLIEST (8)
DC: CURLIEST (8)
OT: UTRICLES (8)
Score: 49–34 (max 66)
Everybody spots CURLIEST which ironically makes this the flattest round so far.
Round 8: J E O C R E A S D
C1: CREASED (7)
C2: CREASED (7)
DC: CREASED (7)
OT: RECODES (7)
And the iron comes out again, because CREASED is also flat all round.
Score: 56–41 (max 73)
Round 9: K T F O E I N C M
C1: INFECT (6)
C2: FOMENT (6)
DC: INCOME (6)
OT: CENTIMO (7) KENOTIC (7) KETONIC (7) TONEMIC (7)
Score: 62–47 (max 80)
Everybody hits a six here, but there are some sevens to be found. A CENTIMO is a coin of various currencies. KENOSIS is an obscure theological concept. KETONES are a large class of chemical compounds, including many sugars. A TONEME is a phoneme that is distinguished from another phoneme only by its tone.
Susies Origin of Words today looks at words derived from MOTHER, including MATRIX, METROPOLIS (mother city) Alma Mater and MATTER.
Round 10: 75, 100, 5, 8, 6, 5. Target: 449.
C1: 449. ((100-8)*5)-6-5 (10)
C2: 449. ((6*75)-(5/5) (10)
Score: 72–57 (max 90)
Easy numbers
Teatime teaser: TRUEMEAN -> NUMERATE
Clue:"To find the true mean of something, you'll need to be this."
Round 11: W F Y E A U D R L
C1: FLAWED (6)
C2: FLAYER (6)
DC: FEUDAL (6)
OT: DEARLY (6) DEFRAY (6) DRAWLY (6) EARFUL (6) FARDEL (6) FERULA (6) FLARED (6) FLAYED (6) FLEURY (6) FRAYED (6) FURLED (6) LAWYER (6) RUDELY (6) WAFERY (6) WAULED (6)
Score: 78–63 (max 96)
Plenty of sixes here to keep Michael Vaughan happy. FARDEL is an archaic word meaning a bundle or burden. A FERULA is a type of plant commonly known (incorrectly) as giant fennel. FLEURY is a heraldic term meaning embellished with Fleur-de-lis.
Round 12: Z S R E I B M E P
C1: EMPIRES (7)
C2: EMPIRES (7)
DC: EMPIRES (7) PREMISE (7)
OT: BEMIRES (7) BIREMES (7) EPIMERS (7)
Score: 85–70 (max 103)
Another flat round brings Drew closer to retaining his crown.
A BIREME was an ancient warship with two banks of oars. An EPIMER is "either of the stereoisomers of a sugar or sugar derivative that differ in the arrangement of the hydrogen atom and the hydroxyl group on the first asymmetric carbon atom of a chain" No, I didn't understand any of that either.
Round 13: X T G A O E P B D
C1: potaged
C2: potaged
DC: PEGBOX (6)
OT: BOATED (6) BODEGA (6) DOTAGE (6) POTAGE (6)
Score: 85–70 (max 109)
A risky seven from both players is just a little too risky. Magnus is really in the soup now, needing to win both remaining rounds. Susie finds PEGBOX which is "a structure at the head of a stringed instrument", where the strings are attached to the tuning pegs.
A BODEGA, btw, is a shop selling wine and sometimes groceries, esp in a Spanish-speaking country.
Round 14: 6, 7, 8, 6, 9, 4. Target: 391.
C1: 390. Mistake in working.
C2: -
RR: (after time) 391. (((6*6)+7)*9)=4 (10)
Score: 85–70 (max 119)
Magnus's failure to get close to the target means that Drew is home and dry. Rachel finds a solution just before the end of the show.
Round 15: O D D F U N B U M
C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say DUMBFOUND which is correct.
Jeff is still chuckling at the scramble when Drew buzzes in.
Final Score: 95–70 (max 129)
Before closing Jeff talks about Michaels' bowling, rather than batting skills. Michael guesses that he has taken eight test wickets (I checked, it was actually six), but one of those was Sachin Tendulkar. I may know very little about cricket, but even I know that's a pretty impressive scalp. Michael has the stump as a memento. Rachel says that she finds cricket so boring she can't even be bothered to go see her boyfriend play. Jeff tells her about a (female) colleague who once said "Geoff Boycott's out one bw.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65
