Hello again, the Worsley Recap will now be a weekly feature rather than a biweekly one and on Tuesdays rather than Mondays. Let's get on with the game.
C1: Champion Tia Corkish (4 wins, 337 points.) Believed to be the first ever Canadian to win on the show, she is married to a Brit, Matthew and has a baby called Scarlet. She's also an apterite and is doing reasonably well, at half octochampdom and hoping to be the fourth octochamp of the series by the end of the week. Can anyone stop her?
C2: Challenger Paul Smith. We are reliably informed that he joined apterous the day after passing his audition, making today's game a battle of the apterites. He is also a forumite. For a living, he programs computer games and he comes from Wroxhall in the Isle of Wight. He used to run tournaments around the world for "Magic", which is a card game I have never heard of. He has also hitchhiked to Morocco for charity, which sounds pretty risky to me. Thankfully he's here in one piece.
DC: Susie Dent and Matt Allwright.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: R N T U E R I D O
R02: N F I T A S D E A
R03: Z L N E I U D T E
R04: S C L O A E G P R
R05: 75, 100, 6, 6, 1, 8. Target: 843.
TTT: BOSSYBAT - "Robert's going nowhere, he's helping out onboard"
R06: W T H I U E R T I
R07: L F S O E A L E S
R08: V R C A E O T S Q
R09: D P D E O G E M A
R10: 75, 2, 1, 1, 10, 8. Target: 949.
TTT: CESSHOLE - "Shout into the hole, but there's nothing coming back"
R11: K H P E E A S P I
R12: R G M A E O L E S
R13: N D M I O R E V F
R14: 50, 4, 7, 7, 3, 1. Target: 316.
R15: A C E D O N G L E (conundrum)
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Round 1: R N T U E R I D O
C1: ROUTINE (7)
C2: tourine
DC: ROUTINED (8) INTRUDER (8) OUTRIDER (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)
An unlucky start for Paul as there are one or two words spelt similarly to his offering but his isn't one of them. Tia takes an early lead but she could have had an extra point by adding the D to ROUTINE, as it's in as a verb. DC mop up by spotting all three eights.
Round 2: N F I T A S D E A
C1: FAINTED (7)
C2: FASTED (6)
DC: FANTASIED (18)
Score: 14–0 (max 26)
The champ tightens her grip on the game but DC come up with an impressive nine.
Round 3: Z L N E I U D T E
C1: UNITED (6)
C2: DILUTE (6)
DC: DILUENT (7)
OT: DETINUE (7) LENITED (7)
Score: 20–6 (max 33)
Paul's off the mark now.
Round 4: S C L O A E G P R
C1: CORSAGE (7)
C2: SCALPER (7)
DC: PERGOLAS (8)
OT: PARCLOSE (8)
Score: 27–13 (max 41)
Susie has to check Paul's offering but SCALPER is fine.
Round 5: 75, 100, 6, 6, 1, 8. Target: 843.
C1: 839. Mistake in working.
C2: 837. (8 + 1) x 100 - 75 + 6 + 6 (5)
RR: 843. (100 + 6) x 8 - (6 - 1) (10)
Score: 27–18 (max 51)
Tia messes up with her four away declaration, allowing Paul to close the gap slightly. Rachel achieves perfection.
Matt shares his knowledge of con artist Victor Lustig, known as "The man who sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice".
Teatime teaser: BOSSYBAT -> BOBSTAYS
Interesting teaser, which Nick reads out correctly as BOSSYBAT but on the screen it says BOSSYBAY, which turns into BOBSTAYS after the break, with a T magically appearing out of nowhere.
Round 6: W T H I U E R T I
C1: WITTIER (7)
C2: WITHER (6)
Score: 34–18 (max 58)
Tia makes up for the numbers blip by spotting the darren.
Round 7: L F S O E A L E S
C1: LEASES (6)
C2: SALES (5)
DC: LEAFLESS (8)
Score: 40–18 (max 66)
A tricky selection but Tia is starting to look in control now. DC come up with a cracker, an adjective referring to a tree with no leaves, as you'd expect really.
Round 8: V R C A E O T S Q
C1: COASTER (7)
C2: CRAVES (6)
DC: OVERCAST (8) OVERACTS (8)
Score: 47–18 (max 74)
Our Canadian apterite is COASTing it now, despite missing a couple of OVER words.
Round 9: D P D E O G E M A
C1: DODGE (5)
C2: GAMED (5)
DC: DODGEM (6) MEGAPODE (8)
Score: 52–23 (max 82)
Just fives for the contestants out of a seemingly awkward selection but DC really are earning their money today as they once again spot a superb darrenic eight.
A MEGAPODE is an Australasian and SE Asian bird which incubates its eggs by the heat of decomposition, done by building a mound.
OoW: Susie talks about things that "rankle"
Round 10: 75, 2, 1, 1, 10, 8. Target: 949.
C1: -
C2: -
RR: 949. (10/2 + 8) x (75 - 1 - 1) (10)
Score: 52–23 (max 92)
Paul tries for the supposedly safe one large option but it's not easy and both blank it, as Rachel leads the way again.
Teatime teaser: CESSHOLE -> ECHOLESS
No technical faults with the teaser this time.
Round 11: K H P E E A S P I
C1: SPEAK (5)
C2: SPEAK (5)
DC: PEAKS (5) SPIKE (5) KEEPS (5)
OT: KIPPAHS (7)
Score: 57–28 (max 99)
Another difficult set of letters as Tia and Paul again find fives. There is a very unusual seven hidden in there which ends the prospect of a DC max game.
A KIPPAH (also spelt KIPA, KIPAH or KIPPA) is a skullcap worn by Othodox male Jews.
Round 12: R G M A E O L E S
C1: MORALS (6)
C2: MEAGRE (6)
DC: GAOLERS (7)
OT: AEROGELS (8)
Score: 63–34 (max 107)
The contestants stick together again, meaning Paul has to get a nine in the next round to have a chance of victory.
An AEROGEL is a solid material of low density which is produced by removing the liquid component from a conventional gel.
Round 13: N D M I O R E V F
C1: MINORED (7)
C2: INFORMED (8)
DC: FERMION (7)
Score: 63–42 (max 115)
No nine, meaning Tia has her fifth win secured but Paul does at least does well to spot the darrenic eight. Too little, too late though.
Round 14: 50, 4, 7, 7, 3, 1. Target: 316.
C1: 314.
C2: 316. (7 - 1) x 50 + ((7 - 3) x 4) (10)
Score: 63–52 (max 125)
And Paul delivers a perfect solve on the final numbers game to close the gap to an agonising 11 points, not quite good enough to force a crucial conundrum.
Round 15: A C E D O N G L E
No one buzzes. The answer was CONGEALED.
Final Score: 63–52 (max 135)
The conundrum goes unsolved which means someone in the audience earns himself a Countdown mug. Tia wins her fifth game, albeit with her lowest score yet. Paul may be rueing his start as he launched a mini rally at the end. The champion did enough at the start to make it academic tomorrow and will be going for her sixth win tomorrow. Join James, who will recap in his own interesting way. I'll be back next week, same time, same place, be sure of it.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=67
