Countdown returned yesterday after a week at the races and our champ Gerri gained her second win in rather unspectacular fashion, but can she make it a hat-trick today? Let's find out
C1: Champion Gerri Kostrzewa (2 wins, 159 points.) - From Leeds, she once ran Red Rhino Records with her husband.
C2: Challenger Rajhoo Carooppunnen. - From Worsley, Manchester (your favourite place, no doubt, Jack
) He's originally from Mauritius and works as a support worker. I didn't catch any of this info first time around as I was too busy studying his nameplate! 
DC: Susie Dent and Martin Lewis.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T R E T N O E T D
R02: R D R G P I E O T
R03: S F M A I E N S I
R04: R L S N M E A E T
R05: 75, 50, 7, 10, 7, 3. Target: 315.
TTT: AUNTENID - "Bombard Aunt Enid with requests"
R06: H X R D U E A G C
R07: R M V Y E I U T A
R08: R S N O A J L E D
R09: S A N I D P O L A
R10: 100, 1, 1, 6, 2, 4. Target: 799.
TTT: LAMBLATE - "According to the song, it rolled off the table and onto the floor"
R11: S Q R U A O W H T
R12: K L N S M E I O S
R13: E A C G C O E B N
R14: 100, 9, 3, 4, 6, 2. Target: 398.
R15: L I S T E N P A L (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Nick gives us a plug for The Apprentice and tells us it's a good time to start a business. He has a little red toy tractor on his desk, with a bride attached to the front. A subtle reminder of his promise to Rachel, and she's thrilled, of course!
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T R E T N O E T D
C1: RENTED (6)
C2: TOTTERED (8)
DC: TOTTERED (8)
Score: 0–8 (max 8)
Raj takes advantage of the abundance of T's by finding the max in the first.
Round 2: R D R G P I E O T
C1: PODGIER (7)
C2: PORRIDGE (8)
DC: PODGIER (7) PERIDOT (7)
Score: 0–16 (max 16)
Wow! Now he's even beating Dictionary Corner as he serves up some porridge
PERIDOT, which comes up frequently, is a green semi-precious stone.
Round 3: S F M A I E N S I
C1: samien
C2: FAMINE (6)
DC: FAMINES (7) SAMISEN (7) INFAMIES (8) Samian
Score: 0–22 (max 24)
Gerri is still stuck on nil points. Raj has FAMINES written down but isn't sure whether it's a mass noun.
Meanwhile the Corner find the darrenic INFAMIES, and SAMISEN, which is a traditional Japanese three-stringed lute.
Round 4: R L S N M E A E T
C1: MEANEST (7)
C2: STEAMER (7)
DC (and me!): LAMENTERS (18)
Score: 7–29 (max 42)
Gerri's on the board and Martin's not sorry about finding LAMENTERS for 9
Round 5: 75, 50, 7, 10, 7, 3. Target: 315.
C1: 317. (7-3)*75+10+7 (7)
C2: 320.
RR: 315. (75-3*10)*7 (10)
Score: 14–29 (max 52)
Rachel shows us how it's done.
Martin talks about rights of consumers. I'm still not quite sure who he is. Or what the hell he does.
Teatime teaser: AUNTENID -> INUNDATE
Round 6: H X R D U E A G C
C1: gauched
C2: CHARGED (7)
OT: GAUCHER (7)
Score: 14–36 (max 59)
Gerri gambles on GAUCHE being a verb, but unfortunately it's not there. But you can be a GAUCHER.
Round 7: R M V Y E I U T A
C1: VARIETY (7)
C2: MATIER (6)
OT: MURIATE (7)
Score: 21–36 (max 66)
She makes amends here with a nice seven.
MURIATE is derived from muriatic acid, which is an old term for hydrochloric acid.
Round 8: R S N O A J L E D
C1: LOANERS (7)
C2: LOANERS (7)
DC: LARDONS (7)
OT: SOLANDER (8)
Score: 28–43 (max 74)
Sevens all round here.
SOLANDER turns out to be the only max missed by all today. It's a box made in the form of a book for filing.
Round 9: S A N I D P O L A
C1: anoids
C2: SANDAL (6)
DC: PIANOLAS (8)
OT: DIAPASON (8) PALADINS (8)
Score: 28–49 (max 82)
Raj goes further ahead now as Gerri discovers there's no such thing as an anoid.
Three nice 8's however - PIANOLAS are pianos equipped to be played automatically using a piano roll, and PALADINS are the twelve peers of Charlemagne's court. DIAPASON is a musical term, or can mean the whole range of something in literature.
OoW - Susie enlightens us about the history of being left-handed, and related words inferring it is bad luck. Sorry to all you gauchers!
Round 10: 100, 1, 1, 6, 2, 4. Target: 799.
C1: 799. 2*4*100-1 (10)
C2: 799. (2+6)*100-1 (10)
Score: 38–59 (max 92)
Easy peasy lemon squeezy
Gerri needs to win a couple of rounds if he's still to be here tomorrow.
Teatime teaser: LAMBLATE -> MEATBALL
Round 11: S Q R U A O W H T
C1: THROWS (6)
C2: WASHOUT (7)
DC: WASHOUT (7)
OT: AUTHORS (7) OUTWASH (7) QUARTOS (7)
Score: 38–66 (max 99)
It looks an awkward set of letters at first, but there are four 7's and Raj has found one.
Round 12: K L N S M E I O S
C1: INSOLES (7)
C2: LESIONS (7)
DC: MELONS (6) MOLESKIN (8)
Score: 45–73 (max 107)
And it's a tie here which means Gerri needs perfect perfection from here on in.
Susie tells us that MOLESKIN can't be pluralised, but it remains the darren.
Round 13: E A C G C O E B N
C1: BEANO (5)
C2: BACON (5)
DC: BEACON (6) COGNAC (6)
OT: BEGONE (6) BOCAGE (6) CONGEE (6) ENCAGE (6)
Score: 50–78 (max 113)
Raj is the winner as the max is just six.
CONGEE, in Chinese cookery, is a broth or porridge made from rice.
Round 14: 100, 9, 3, 4, 6, 2. Target: 398.
C1: 398. 4*100-2 (10)
C2: 398. 4*100-2 (10)
Score: 60–88 (max 123)
Well Rachel hasn't been tested much today...
Round 15: L I S T E N P A L
C1 buzzes on 27 seconds to say something like PLASTICINE which is incorrect.
C2 does not buzz.
The answer was PANELLIST.
Final Score: 60–88 (max 133)
Raw score: 79-101
Maxes: 3-6
Raj never looked back after a strong start, and I'm sure James will appreciate the honour of attempting to spell his name correctly in the recap tomorrow
So we have to say bye to Gerri, who has brought some cheeriness to the studio after misery-guts Michaels reign!
I'll be back next Tuesday with another recap, same time, same place... I'm counting on it!
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=66
