C1: Champion Gareth Lee (1 win, 73 points.)
C2: Challenger Christopher Moriarty.
DC: Susie Dent and Michael Vaughan.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
After a week away, I return refreshed and ready to recap another Friday edition of our favourite game show. Thanks to Rhys for holding the fort and especially for recording Tim Vine’s ‘Countdown song’ for posterity - loved it!
So, back to the matter in hand. After knocking out Dundee’s Andrew Halliburton (great surname there!) on Thursday, Gareth Lee (who reminds me a little bit of Charlie) faces a writer with ambitions to become the Doctor Who scriptwriter - and with a name with great literary connotations like Christopher Moriarty, who can blame him? In a week of topsy-turvy games, will this be yet another one? There’s only one way to find out...
R01: C P D U I E N S E
R02: T A I H G O D R U
R03: S P G L I O A E T
R04: V P S A U M R E I
R05: 100, 10, 3, 8, 8, 7. Target: 914.
TTT: NOTROADS - "They don't use roads, they take to the skies."
R06: D N P U E B R A U
R07: N S M A E O R S I
R08: N T E E G M I U Y
R09: D S L A E O T C A
R10: 75, 25, 8, 7, 4, 6. Target: 556.
TTT: FLATCONE - "The small bird just had its lunch."
R11: R J K C O I A O U
R12: S Z T O A E L M L
R13: R V L I A I E H G
R14: 50, 75, 100, 2, 7, 4. Target: 595.
R15: I T O D I N N E R (conundrum)
Countdown is sponsored by Wellman.
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Jeff notes that he hasn’t read out a letter from Len and Kath in Spain for a while, so he treats us to a list of song titles for baby boomers that they’ve sent in – including “Papa Had A Kidney Stone”. He then tries to sell Rachel the delights of Roger Whittaker (after she mentions “Wind Beneath My Bingo Wings”) and his whistling – I don’t think she’s convinced...
Round 1: C P D U I E N S E
C1: unspiced
C2: UPENDS (6)
DC: UNIPEDS (7)
OT: PUDENCIES (18)
Score: 0–6 (max 18)
A plausible offering from Gareth is dismissed by Susie. There’s also a rather unlikely plural niner: PUDENCY isn’t listed as a mass noun, but you wonder whether it should be, as it means modesty or embarrassment.
Round 2: T A I H G O D R U
C1: DROUGHT (7)
C2: RATIO (5)
DC: AUDITOR (7) DRAUGHT (7)
Score: 7–6 (max 25)
A great spot from the champ for seven.
Round 3: S P G L I O A E T
C1: GOALIES (7)
C2: SPOILAGE (8)
OT: PILOTAGES (18)
Score: 7–14 (max 43)
Chris is uncertain about SPOILAGE, but regular viewers will know he’s no need to be.
Round 4: V P S A U M R E I
C1: PRAISE (6)
C2: PRIMES (6)
DC: UMPIRES (7) VAMPIRES (8)
Score: 13–20 (max 51)
Slightly disappointing stuff from our players, but DC have got their teeth into things with the darrenic VAMPIRES. Incidentally, there’s definitely been some dubious shuffling in the past couple of weeks, with lots of almost-repeated rounds coming up. Time for an inquiry to be set up?
Round 5: 100, 10, 3, 8, 8, 7. Target: 914.
C1: 913. ((8+8-7)x100)+10+3 (7)
C2: 915. (100x10)-(8x8)-(7x3) (7)
RR: 914. ((100-3)x10)-(8x7) (10)
Score: 20–27 (max 61)
Quite a tricky one to get spot-on, but our Rach manages it. With the contestants managing to get within one either way, this is looking like another ding-dong affair.
Before the break, Jeff fires some questions at Michael Vaughan. Great stuff if you like cricket.
Teatime teaser: NOTROADS -> TORNADOS
Round 6: D N P U E B R A U
C1: PANDER (6)
C2: BRAND (5)
DC: BURNED (6) AUBURN (6) BURPED (6)
OT: BANDER (6) BEDPAN (6) BURDEN (6) BUREAU (6) DAUBER (6) EARBUD (6) PRUNED (6) PUDEUR (6) UNREAD (6) URBANE (6)
Score: 26–27 (max 67)
This round wins the award for flattest round of the day.
Round 7: N S M A E O R S I
C1: MOANERS (7)
C2: romanies
DC: SEMINARS (8) ROMANISES (18)
Score: 33–27 (max 85)
Chris knows the capitalized ROMANIES is a gamble; if only he’d known his lettuces a bit better...
Round 8: N T E E G M I U Y
C1: MEETING (7)
C2: MEETING (7)
DC: MEETING (7)
OT: TEEMING (7)
Score: 40–34 (max 92)
There’s a definite MEETING of minds in the studio – probably because the round wasn’t TEEMING with lots of long words to find.
Round 9: D S L A E O T C A
C1: LOCATED (7)
C2: CLOSET (6)
DC: LOCATED (7) CASTLED (7)
OT: CASELOAD (8)
Score: 47–34 (max 100)
Again, there wasn’t a CASELOAD of long words available in the selection, but there was one.
OoW: Susie gives us some more words we may not realise there are words for (if you see what I mean), one of which was ESCUTCHEON, which can be used to describe the metal bit surrounding a keyhole. Surely that’s a little bit interesting, Mr ‘Borigin of Words’ Taylor?
Round 10: 75, 25, 8, 7, 4, 6. Target: 556.
C1: -
C2: -
RR: 556. ((75+8)x7)-25 (10)
Score: 47–34 (max 110)
Gareth and Chris flatline, leaving Rachel to show us the way for the second numbers game in succession.
Teatime teaser: FLATCONE -> FALCONET
Round 11: R J K C O I A O U
C1: CROOK (5)
C2: CORK (4)
OT: KOUROI (6)
Score: 52–34 (max 116)
KOUROI (singular KOUROS) are ancient Greek statues; I wonder how long it will be before they get a mention from expert car parker Ms Dent?
Round 12: S Z T O A E L M L
C1: LAMEST (6)
C2: MOLEST (6)
DC: MALLETS (7) MALTOSE (7) ZEALOTS (7)
Score: 58–40 (max 123)
Three good sevens there and DC shame the contestants by spotting all three.
Round 13: R V L I A I E H G
C1: GRAVEL (6)
C2: GRAVEL (6)
DC: GRAVEL (6) GLAIVE (6)
OT: GIRLIE (6) HAILER (6) HALIER (6) HAVELI (6) HEGIRA (6) VERLIG (6) VIRGAE (6) VIRILE (6)
Score: 64–46 (max 129)
Almost as flat as Round 6, but not quite. Someone fetch that silver medal...
Round 14: 50, 75, 100, 2, 7, 4. Target: 595.
C1: 595. (75x2x4)-7+(100/50) (10)
C2: 595. (75x2x4)-7+(100/50) (10)
Score: 74–56 (max 139)
Chris goes for ‘3 large’ in an attempt to hold Gareth back, but it doesn’t work and it’s all over for the chap from Chester, although there’s still the pleasure of a non-crucial conundrum to be had...
Round 15: I T O D I N N E R
C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say RENDITION which is correct.
Final Score: 84–56 (max 149)
So, Gareth survives for another day. On Monday, Robin Cousins debuts in Dictionary Corner. I saw him in “Dancing on Ice” at Wembley Arena when I was about twelve; I wonder if he’s changed at all? See you next weekend!
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65
