Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 3 May 2012.
C1: Champion Nick Hall (5 wins, 423 points.) A therapist from Stratford-Upon-Avon, Staffordshire.
C2: Challenger Luke Spencer. A trainee teacher from Redditch, Worcestershire. He is also a bartender at a golf club. He has a 1-year-old son who dances to the Countdown theme tune and adores our Rach too.
DC: Susie Dent and Chris Packham, who will be 51 tomorrow
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S T D L U A O I S
R02: N Z A M E W S V I
R03: G C F E I O R N E
R04: A O L D N E N T I
R05: 100, 1, 6, 9, 2, 10. Target: 531.
TTT: TEAROVEN - "You might tear your oven out if you did this to your kitchen"
R06: R S R A E C O H Q
R07: R T S T E U O A D
R08: I U B N T A R G K
R09: D Y O E A T M P O
R10: 100, 75, 2, 7, 6, 4. Target: 571.
TTT: TOSSBEER - "Toss beer down the sink in a bid to remain this"
R11: T D E A E U T N T
R12: X P R N E I O R P
R13: S M H A O I L C E
R14: 50, 8, 5, 1, 10, 9. Target: 579.
R15: L I M P I D L E E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: S T D L U A O I S
C1: SOLIDS (6)
C2: SOULS (5)
DC: DUALISTS (8)
OT: OUTSAILS (8)
Score: 6–0 (max 8)
Nick makes a SOLID start, but DC go 2 better with an impressive 8.
Round 2: N Z A M E W S V I
C1: WAIVES (6)
C2: WAVES (5)
DC: MAVENS (6)
OT: AMINES (6) AZINES (6) INSEAM (6) MAIZES (6) MIZENS (6) NAVIES (6) ZANIES (6)
Score: 12–0 (max 14)
A few 6's, but Luke WAVES away his points for not sticking the I in there........
An AMINE is any of a class of compounds derived from ammonia by replacement of one or more hydrogen atoms with organic groups.
An AZINE is any of a group of six-membered heterocyclic compounds containing one or more nitrogen atoms in the ring, the number of nitrogen atoms present being indicated by a prefix, as in diazine or triazine.
A MIZEN is a fore-and-aft sail set on a mizzenmast.
Round 3: G C F E I O R N E
C1: FORCING (7)
C2: FENCE (5)
DC: CONIFER (7) GENERIC (7)
OT: ENFORCE (7) FOREIGN (7) FREEING (7) REEFING (7)
Score: 19–0 (max 21)
Oh dear, Luke is still stuck on the FENCE with his 5, missing plenty of the 7's available.
Round 4: A O L D N E N T I
C1: INDOLENT (8)
C2: LOANED (6)
DC: TOENAIL (7) ANOINTED (8)
OT: ANTINODE (8) DELATION (8) DENTINAL (8)
Score: 27–0 (max 29)
Luke is probably going to be wanting to LOAN a brain soon, if he keeps this up
Round 5: 100, 1, 6, 9, 2, 10. Target: 531.
C1: 529. ((6 - 1) x (100 + 2)) + 10 + 9 (7)
C2: 529. ((6 - 1) x (100 + 2)) + 10 + 9 (7)
RR: 531. ((100 / 2) + 9) x (10 - 1) (10)
Score: 34–7 (max 39)
Well, he's got a numbers brain at least, but that's a bad miss for both players.
Chris talks about his search for the soot black flat-headed borer beetle in Sweden, which has the unique trait of only being able to copulate in the dying embers of forest fires. It ends sadly after Chris' soundman accidentally squished the beetle while they were redoing Chris "discovering" it for the first time.
Teatime teaser: TEAROVEN -> RENOVATE
Round 6: R S R A E C O H Q
C1: COARSE (6)
C2: CHASER (6)
DC: COARSER (7) ROACHES (7) HOARSER (7)
OT: ARCHERS (7) CHARROS (7) OCHREAS (7) ORACHES (7)
Score: 40–13 (max 46)
Very similar to round 9 yesterday, but it's Nick's turn to regret not sticking the other R on the end of his COARSE.
Round 7: R T S T E U O A D
C1: misdeclared 8
C2: STARTED (7)
DC: ROASTED (7) OUTSTARED (18)
Score: 40–20 (max 64)
Oh dear, this is becoming a bad habit of Nick's, adding phantom letters to words.
A very good 9 spot by DC too. Round 8: I U B N T A R G K
C1: BARKING (7)
C2: RATING (6)
DC: TURBAN (6)
OT: BRAKING (7) KARTING (7)
Score: 47–20 (max 71)
Well, he's not quite BARKING mad yet, but he's regained his composure now.
Round 9: D Y O E A T M P O
C1: POMADE (6)
C2: MOATED (6)
OT: MOOTED (6) TAMPED (6) TEAPOY (6) YOMPED (6)
Score: 53–26 (max 77)
Flat time.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the words, "pedigree", "falconry", "codger" and the phrase, "one fell swoop".
Round 10: 100, 75, 2, 7, 6, 4. Target: 571.
C1: 571. ((7 - 2) x 100) + 75 - 4 (10)
C2: 571. ((7 - 2) x 100) + 75 - 4 (10)
Score: 63–36 (max 87)
Another nice and easy numbers game, but both of them solve it this time.
Teatime teaser: TOSSBEER -> SOBEREST
Round 11: T D E A E U T N T
C1: TAUNTED (7)
C2: ATTEND (6)
DC: ATTUNED (7)
OT: TAUTENED (8)
Score: 70–36 (max 95)
Another 7 for Nick, and surely he's about to wrap up win #6. A very nice 8 is missed by all though............
Round 12: X P R N E I O R P
C1: expire
C2: ROPIER (6)
DC: NIPPER (6)
OT: IRONER (6) ORPINE (6) PEPINO (6) PERRON (6) POXIER (6) PRONER (6) PROPER (6) RIPPER (6)
Score: 70–42 (max 101)
Flatness all round, with the exception of Nick who goes phantom again......
An ORPINE is a plant, Sedum telephium, of the stonecrop family, having purplish flowers.
A PEPINO (or melon pear, melon shrub) is a Peruvian plant, Solanum muricatum, of the nightshade family, having spiny foliage, bright blue flowers, and edible purple, egg-shaped fruit.
A PERRON is an outside platform upon which the entrance door of a building opens, with steps leading to it.
Round 13: S M H A O I L C E
C1: MALICE (6)
C2: MOSAIC (6)
DC: SHALOM (6) CAMISOLE (8)
OT: CHAMELIS (8) HEMIOLAS (8)
Score: 76–48 (max 109)
Game wrapped up for Nick now with that little bit of MALICE.
Very good 8 from DC too. A HEMIOLA is a rhythmic pattern of syncopated beats with two beats in the time of three or three beats in the time of two.
Round 14: 50, 8, 5, 1, 10, 9. Target: 579.
C1: 579. ((50 + 8) x 10) - 1 (10)
C2: 579. ((50 + 8) x 10) - 1 (10)
Score: 86–58 (max 119)
Another easy one to finish. No chance of a century, but can Nick get another score in the 90's............
Round 15: L I M P I D L E E
C2 buzzes on 14.5 seconds to say IMPLIED which is incorrect.
C1 buzzes on 15.25 seconds to say MILLIPEDE which is correct.
Final Score: 96–58 (max 129)
Crikey
IMPLIED Deary me, what a bad guess from Luke there. Luckily, Nick only needs another three-quarters of a second to wriggle the conundrum out. Nick now moves into the #4 spot on the leaderboard, and a score of above 49 will take him to the #3 spot and a guaranteed spot in the finals too.
Join Thomas tomorrow to see if he can make it a lucky 7.
I'll be back next Wednesday when 2 different players will be in the seats.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Nick:
Total score - 96
Raw score - 96
Total % of max - 74
Raw % of max - 74
Total average score per round - 6.4
Raw average score per round - 6.4
Number of maxes - 8
Luke:
Total score - 58
Raw score - 91
Total % of max - 45
Raw % of max - 71
Total average score per round - 3.9
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=66
