Thanks again to Graeme and Jack for covering for me last week.
So, let's enjoy today's show.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 28 November 2012.
C1: Champion David Barnard (6 wins, 591 points.) An Apteforumite from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. He works as a charity shop volunteer.
C2: Challenger Michael Henning. A chartered surveyor from Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear. He says his favourite place on the planet (perhaps unsurprisingly) is the North-East coast. He loves films and music and last year he walked on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru.
DC: Susie Dent and John Inverdale.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: V R T S O I E G O
R02: U E N T F A S I D
R03: M R D S E O E B A
R04: U L T E M F O P T
R05: 3, 10, 10, 7, 5, 8. Target: 395.
TTT: RUBSLADY - "Rubs the lady up the wrong way by behaving like this"
R06: E L R I L Y E S H
R07: R T C N A E O D A
R08: E P R U T O L S E
R09: W Z S T A I A P E
R10: 100, 5, 6, 4, 10, 7. Target: 587.
TTT: ROBINMUD - "Preparing to say hello to their last goodbye"
R11: S Q J C I E I L V
R12: E N H O N I S M P
R13: B W R C E A I E S
R14: 75, 3, 2, 10, 7, 2. Target: 439.
R15: M I L D G H O S T (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: V R T S O I E G O
C1: GROOVIEST (18)
C2: GROOVES (7)
DC: VERTIGO (7)
Score: 18–0 (max 18)
Wahey, I seem to be getting a case of deja vu here, as like in my last recap, David gets a 9 in round 1 to go 18-0 up.
Although, you've got to feel sorry for Michael and his GROOVES. 
Round 2: U E N T F A S I D
C1: DETAINS (7)
C2: FASTEN (6)
DC: DEFIANT (7) INFUSED (7)
OT: AUNTIES (7) DESTAIN (7) FAINTED (7) FUNDIES (7) FUSTIAN (7) INSTEAD (7) SAINTED (7) SATINED (7) SINUATE (7) SNAFUED (7) STAINED (7) TIENDAS (7)
Score: 25–0 (max 25)
A quarter-century already for David, meaning that Michael might have to FASTEN himself in for a long and bumpy ride
FUSTIAN is a stout fabric of cotton and flax.
To SNAFU is to throw into disorder or muddle.
Round 3: M R D S E O E B A
C1: boardees
C2: beaders
DC: boredom
OT: AEROBES (7) BARDEES (7) BEAMERS (7) BEDSORE (7) BESMEAR (7) BREAMED (7) DEBASER (7) RADOMES (7) REBASED (7) SMEARED (7) SOBERED (7)
Score: 25–0 (max 32)
Ermmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, a bit of an unusual (and slightly unwanted) first for Countdown. Both contestants give illegal words, but even more bizarrely, John's offering is also not in, because there is only one O in the selection. So, there is no legal given word in this round.
An AEROBE is an organism, especially a bacterium, that requires air or free oxygen for life (opposed to anaerobe).
A BARDEE is a beetle larva of Australia, Bardistus cibarius, that bores into plants and is used as food by Aborigines.
To BREAM is to clean (a ship's bottom) by applying burning furze, reeds, etc., to soften the pitch and loosen adherent matter.
Round 4: U L T E M F O P T
C1: MOTTLE (6)
C2: MOTTLE (6)
DC: POTTLE (6)
OT: OUTLET (6) POTFUL (6) TUPELO (6)
Score: 31–6 (max 38)
After "the round that must not be named", the contestants get some MOTTLE, and normal service is resumed for now.
A TUPELO is any of several trees of the genus Nyssa, having ovate leaves, clusters of minute flowers, and purple, berrylike fruit, especially Nyssa aquatica, of swampy regions of the eastern, southern, and midwestern United States.
Round 5: 3, 10, 10, 7, 5, 8. Target: 395.
C1: 395. ((10 x 8) - ((10 - 7) / 3)) x 5 (10)
C2: 395. (10 x 10 x (7 - 3)) - 5 (10)
Score: 41–16 (max 48)
2 very different 6 small methods, but 10 points to both will do nicely.
John talks about the time he was in Sydney for the 2000 Summer Olympics, where he was kicked out of a restaurant because he refused to give up his table for none other than........ Bill Gates!!
Teatime teaser: RUBSLADY -> ABSURDLY
Round 6: E L R I L Y E S H
C1: sheller
C2: shellier
DC: RELISH (6) SHRILL (6) SHRILLY (7)
OT: HELLERS (7) RELLIES (7) SHEERLY (7)
Score: 41–16 (max 55)
Oh dear, another double blank, but at least we have some valid words to follow up this time.
A HELLER is a noisy, rowdy, troublesome person.
Round 7: R T C N A E O D A
C1: DONATE (6)
C2: DANCER (6)
DC: CANTER (6) TRANCED (7)
Me: NOTECARD (8)
Score: 47–22 (max 63)
Quite a few 6's here, but there is a darrenic 8 left for me to snatch for myself.
Round 8: E P R U T O L S E
C1: leperous
C2: SPORT (5)
DC: LEPROUS (7) EELPOUTS (8)
OT: RESOLUTE (8)
Score: 47–27 (max 71)
Ouch, a very unlucky mistake by David, as LEPROUS doesn't need the extra E in it.
Round 9: W Z S T A I A P E
C1: PASTIE (6)
C2: PASTE (5)
OT: AWAITS (6) PIETAS (6) WASPIE (6)
Score: 53–27 (max 77)
Definitely one of the most interesting dictionary definitions ever given on the show, as Susie describes that as well as being the delectable Cornish treat, it is also the tassel that is stuck on the nipples of strippers.
(Cue hilarious gags and Rachel almost seeming to suggest that she was a stripper in a previous life!!! ) Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "dogsbody" and "Scouse".
Round 10: 100, 5, 6, 4, 10, 7. Target: 587.
C1: 587. ((100 - (5 - 4)) x 6) - 7 (10)
C2: 587. Mistake in working.
Score: 63–27 (max 87)
Oh dear, a mistake by Michael means that David's lead is extended to 3 dozen at the end of this 2nd half. It looks like a magnificent 7 is just around the corner.........
Teatime teaser: ROBINMUD -> MORIBUND
Round 11: S Q J C I E I L V
C1: JIVES (5)
C2: VICES (5)
DC: LIVES (5)
OT: CEILIS (6) CLEVIS (6)
Score: 68–32 (max 93)
Five alive in the studio, but a couple of obscure-ish 6's were lurking around in this one.
A CLEVIS is a U-shaped yoke at the end of a chain or rod, between the ends of which a lever, hook, etc.
Round 12: E N H O N I S M P
C1: PHONIES (7)
C2: PENSION (7)
DC: PHONES (6) PHENOMS (7)
OT: SHOPMEN (7)
Score: 75–39 (max 100)
3 out of 4 7's here. That's very impressive, but not quite as impressive as David who is now in sniffing distance of that 7th win.
Round 13: B W R C E A I E S
C1: BEWARE (6)
C2: BEARS (5)
DC: BEWARES (7) CRABWISE (8)
OT: WISEACRE (8)
Score: 81–39 (max 108)
I told you to BEWARE of the possibility of David winning, and indeed he does. There is a well crabby 8 there in the form of CRABWISE.
A WISEACRE is a person who possesses or affects to possess great wisdom.
Round 14: 75, 3, 2, 10, 7, 2. Target: 439.
C1: 439. (((75 x 2) - 7) x 3) + 10 (10)
C2: 438.
Score: 91–39 (max 118)
Another good bit of numbers from the maths-wizz himself, which puts him in pole position to get his 4th century of his run. Will he do it
Round 15: M I L D G H O S T
No one buzzes. The answer was GOLDSMITH.
Final Score: 91–39 (max 128)
Unfortunately not, but he shouldn't be downhearted as no-one in the whole studio (or even me for that matter
) got it. (I prefer the anagram HMSOLDGIT myself. )But, hey-ho, it's another convincing win for our Herefordshire hero, who is just one win away from octochampdom, and with it a place in the finals in 2 weeks time, although if he scores 41 points, he's fine anyway. Although, a win of just 56 will see him got to #2 in the rankings, but a score of 113 will see him overtake Paul James at the #1 spot. Can he pull off a master-stroke and save his best till last
Join me tomorrow to find out.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
David:
Total score - 91
Raw score - 91
Total % of max - 71
Raw % of max - 71
Total average score per round - 6.1
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 8
Michael:
Total score - 39
Raw score - 69
Total % of max - 30
Raw % of max - 54
Total average score per round - 2.6
Raw average score per round - 4.6
Number of maxes - 3
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=67
