So, before you bounce off for the night, enjoy this once in a lifetime experience that is the February 29th edition of this loved (or so they tell me) recap.
Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 29 February 2012.
C1: Champion Peter Lee (7 wins, 696 points.) An Apteforumite from Dublin. The cool Irish Met Office guy.
He'll be even cooler if he can become an octochamp today. C2: Challenger James Belshaw. A chauffeur and stand-up comedian from Ashford, Middlesex. In 2005, he broke the Guinness World Record for longest continual kiss with his girlfriend, lasting 31 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds
DC: Susie Dent and John Parrott.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: N D Y S E O A N I
R02: A I T X H U P E T
R03: R C L I O A S W O
R04: P A U R G R A I U
R05: 50, 7, 1, 4, 3, 4. Target: 797.
TTT: WIDENTHE - "Widen the smile, now that you've had this done to your teeth"
R06: Z E O A L S R M E
R07: T G O E O P D C A
R08: G R N V E E A E B
R09: D S I O I V S M R
R10: 100, 25, 75, 5, 8, 7. Target: 538.
TTT: KIMCHOSE - "Kim chose to go back to the place she was missing"
R11: N H J L E O U L O
R12: E A E N T N R U G
R13: T D E I U A Q P S
R14: 100, 50, 25, 75, 9, 8. Target: 960.
R15: L O U S Y T U N E (conundrum)
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Round 1: N D Y S E O A N I
C1: ANODISE (7)
C2: SANDY (5)
DC: NOYADES (7)
OT: ANODYNES (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)
Peter starts off in good form and hopefully it can continue for the rest of the day.
An ANODYNE is a medicine that relieves or allays pain.
Round 2: A I T X H U P E T
C1: TITHE (5)
C2: TAXI (4)
DC: PITTA (5)
OT: EXPAT (5) HEIAU (5) HUTIA (5) PETIT (5) PIETA (5) PUTTI (5) TATIE (5) TAUPE (5) THETA (5)
Score: 12–0 (max 13)
Plenty of 5's around, but James can (appropriately) only find a TAXI.
A HUTIA is any of 26 living and recently extinct species of Caribbean rodents. The surviving species of hutia are short-limbed and stout and have a large head, small eyes and ears, prominent claws, and long whiskers.
In fine arts, a PUTTO (plural PUTTI) is a representation of a cherubic infant, often shown winged.
Round 3: R C L I O A S W O
C1: CRAWLS (6)
C2: CLAWS (5)
DC: SAILOR (6)
OT: LORICAS (7)
Score: 18–0 (max 20)
James can't get the ignition to work so far as Peter's lead CRAWLS further forward.
Round 4: P A U R G R A I U
C1: PAIR (4)
C2: GRIP (4)
DC: AUGUR (5)
Me: PIRAGUA (7)
Score: 22–4 (max 27)
A super impressive 7, so well done to anyone who got it.
And well done to the other James for getting off the mark.A PIRAGUA is a flat-bottomed sailing vessel having two masts.
Round 5: 50, 7, 1, 4, 3, 4. Target: 797.
C1: 797. (4 x 4 x 50) - 3 (10)
C2: 800.
Score: 32–4 (max 37)
Oh dear, how do you not get the 16 without using the 3 here
Well, James has somehow done it and Peter pulls away again. At this rate, we might even be able to crown him as an octochamp at the end of round 2..........John talks about his early snooker career and his first televised game in the 1980's.
Teatime teaser: WIDENTHE -> WHITENED
Round 6: Z E O A L S R M E
C1: MORALE (6)
C2: MORALS (6)
DC: morales MOLARS (6)
OT: AREOLES (7)
Score: 38–10 (max 44)
Well, he's got into double figures at least. So, the lowest score record has gone, but the lowest male score of 16 is still within his reach, if that's the right word I'm looking for.
Round 7: T G O E O P D C A
C1: COATED (6)
C2: dated
DC: POTAGE (6) TOECAP (6) coopted
OT: CAPOTE (6) COOPED (6) DOTAGE (6) OPCODE (6) POGOED (6)
Score: 44–10 (max 50)
Plenty of 6's here, but James can only give us a 5 with a phantom 2nd D.
Round 8: G R N V E E A E B
C1: BEVERAGE (8)
C2: GRAVE (5)
DC: AVENGER (7) ENGRAVE (7)
Score: 52–10 (max 58)
A super impressive darrenic 8 by Peter there.
Round 9: D S I O I V S M R
C1: DIVISORS (8)
C2: DIMS (4)
DC: VOIDS (5) VISORS (6)
Score: 60–10 (max 66)
And he follows it up with ANOTHER ONE!!! A lead of 50 already. This game is virtually done already.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "meteoric rise".
Round 10: 100, 25, 75, 5, 8, 7. Target: 538.
C1: 538. ((100 + 7) x 5) + (75 / 25) (10)
C2: 540.
Score: 70–10 (max 76)
The favoured selection of choice at the moment gives no respite to poor James, as Peter just needs to score in one more round to become the 2nd octochamp of Series 66.
Teatime teaser: KIMCHOSE -> HOMESICK
Round 11: N H J L E O U L O
C1: JOULE (5)
C2: JOULE (5)
DC: HELLO (5)
OT: HULLO (5) JELLO (5) OHONE (5)
Score: 75–15 (max 81)
And wouldn't you know it, it happens to be in a round where James not only scores, but gets his first of the day too.
OHONE is a Scottish & Irish English word for "alas!"
Round 12: E A E N T N R U G
C1: NEUTER (6)
C2: GREEN (5)
DC: REAGENT (7) UNGREEN (7) UNEATEN (7)
OT: GAUNTER (7) GRANTEE (7) GUNNERA (7) REGNANT (7) TUNEAGE (7)
Score: 81–15 (max 88)
Plenty of 7's around, but Peter's more than happy with his 6 which sees his lead extend to 6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6.
Round 13: T D E I U A Q P S
C1: UPDATES (7)
C2: SQUID (5)
DC: PIQUETS (7)
OT: DISPUTE (7)
Score: 88–15 (max 95)
Not quite a damp squib, but James will probably be glad that the letters rounds are over, as Peter gets another max to add to his colllection.
Round 14: 100, 50, 25, 75, 9, 8. Target: 960.
C1: 961. (9 x 100) + 50 + 8 + (75 / 25) (7)
C2: 967.
RR: 960. (75 + 50 - (9 - (100 / 25))) x 8 (10)
Score: 95–15 (max 105)
And for the first time this week, Rachel gets a say in the numbers, while James has to make do with 0/30.
He may be about to break an unwanted record of sorts, but he's at least been game for a laugh, must be the stand-up comedian in him.
Round 15: L O U S Y T U N E
C1 buzzes on 3.25 seconds to say TENUOUSLY which is correct.
Final Score: 105–15 (max 115)
And Peter solves his 6th conundrum out of 8 and with it, he passes the 800 barrier too, with a score of eight hundred and............. ONE.
That was a very fine finish to the week for Peter, who after the previous 2 days, must've been relieved to get an easier opponent, but I think it's fair to say, that he's had some tough opponents throughout his run and to come through that unbeaten is indeed impressive.
His 801 points put him in 2nd place, just 17 behind a watching Jack Worsley, who was literally watching in the studio, as picked out by the cameras. Quite a nice little touch.
So, Peter & Jack (while not officially confirmed to be in them yet) will surely be highly fancied to win the series finals in June.
Join me tomorrow to see if either of the 2 new challengers could give them a run for their money..............
So, till then, I'll leap off into March now. Be sure of it.
Bye bye. Statistics Corner
Peter:
Total score - 105
Raw score - 105
Total % of max - 91
Raw % of max - 91
Total average score per round - 7.0
Raw average score per round - 7.0
Number of maxes - 9
James:
Total score - 15
Raw score - 67
Total % of max - 13
Raw % of max - 58
Total average score per round - 1.0
Raw average score per round - 4.5
Number of maxes - 1
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=66