Welcome all to the Worsley Recap!
Today is St. George's Day and also Shakespeare's birthday. Nick tells a story about the time he had to play a female part in a Shakespeare play when he was at an all-boys school. 
C1: Champion Jill Hayward (2 wins, 172 points.) From Christchurch, Dorset, she has two solid wins to her name so far. On Friday, she beat John Gardner, who seemed to be quite popular with some forum members. She was given a rougher ride yesterday though as she saw off a good challenge from JJ Burrows by spotting the crucial conundrum LIQUIDATE. Speaking of John, her opponent today is...
C2: Challenger Pat Gardner. You've guessed it, she's John's wife and next month they will be celebrating the Diamond (60th) wedding anniversary! We also get a brief shot of John watching in the audience, a nice touch. She comes from Cheddar in Somerset. Can she get revenge for her husband?
DC: Susie Dent and Paul Zenon.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S H S G F E A I D
R02: R H S S E I A G O
R03: 25, 4, 3, 9, 1, 6. Target: 228.
TTT: EUROPIGS - "Sounds like he planted vegetables for all his fans"
R04: R Y W N S E A O M
R05: R S C T A A E E N
R06: 100, 9, 1, 1, 4, 3. Target: 691.
R07: T S L X I A O E S
R08: L D T N U O A E C
R09: 50, 3, 10, 5, 1, 9. Target: 426.
TTT: OURBRITS - "Plenty of Brits enjoy these Mexican snacks"
R10: N P N T I O E M I
R11: S B R L A U I P E
R12: T N V D O A I A R
R13: K N T P O E A N E
R14: 25, 4, 4, 10, 9, 3. Target: 257.
R15: P E E L R A S P S (conundrum)
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Round 1: S H S G F E A I D
C1: FISHED (6)
C2: SHADES (6)
DC: SIGHED (6) GASSED (6)
OT: GEISHAS (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
Plenty of sixes in this round as both player get on the scoreboard early. There is one seven, GEISHAS, which has come up quite a lot lately in both the singular and the plural. Shockingly though, DC don't get it!
Round 2: R H S S E I A G O
C1: GASSIER (7)
C2: goosier
DC: GEISHAS (7) OGREISH (7)
OT: ARGOSIES (8)
Score: 13–6 (max 15)
First blood to Jill as Pat's GOOSIER^ is rejected both for using a phantom second O and for not being in the dictionary.
Amazingly, GEISHAS is available again and this time DC spot it! Paul even ramarks that it came up "the other day". I think he means "the other round". There's also an eight which is missed by everyone.Round 3: 25, 4, 3, 9, 1, 6. Target: 228.
C1: 228. 25 x 9 + 3 (10)
C2: 228. 25 x 9 + 3 (10)
Score: 23–16 (max 25)
The first numbers game of the day fails to make things even remotely interesting. Let's move on.
Teatime teaser: EUROPIGS -> GROUPIES
Round 4: R Y W N S E A O M
C1: OARSMEN (7)
C2: WARMS (5)
DC: MOANERS (7) MASONRY (7)
OT: ANYMORE (7) SOMEWAY (7) YAWNERS (7)
Score: 30–16 (max 32)
Jill doubles her lead thanks to a good spot.
Round 5: R S C T A A E E N
C1: CREATES (7)
C2: CANTERS (7)
DC: TRANCES (7) CAREENS (7)
OT: ARSENATE (8) CATERANS (8) SARCENET (8) SERENATA (8)
Score: 37–23 (max 40)
Sevens all round. DC do not seem to be on top form today as they miss all four eights. The last of those was offered recently by Andy Platt in his final heat game.
Round 6: 100, 9, 1, 1, 4, 3. Target: 691.
C1: 691. (4 + 3) x 100 - 9 (10)
C2: 691. (4 + 3) x 100 - 9 (10)
Score: 47–33 (max 50)
Another easy numbers game gives both players an additional ten points.
Paul performs a slightly risky trick as he soaks a beer mat in a jug of ass's milk and places it over the top of a glass with the milk. He then turns it upside down over Nick's head and removes the beer mat and the milk is stuck in position. He then moves the glass over the jug again and returns the milk into it.
Round 7: T S L X I A O E S
C1: oxtails
C2: taxies
DC: OXALISES (8)
OT: ISOLATES (8)
Score: 47–33 (max 58)
Hmm, Lexplorer gives OXTAILS as valid but Susie decides that it's a mass noun which cannot be pluralised. Pat can't capitalise though as she make the common mistake of declaring TAXIES^ when the plural is in fact TAXIS. The scores are at a standstill here.
Round 8: L D T N U O A E C
C1: CLOUTED (7)
C2: COUNTED (7)
DC: UNCOATED (8)
OT: OUTDANCE (8)
Score: 54–40 (max 66)
No disputing these two words, although DC go one better.
Round 9: 50, 3, 10, 5, 1, 9. Target: 426.
C1: 426. (50 - 9) x 10 + (3 x 5 + 1) (10)
C2: -
Score: 64–40 (max 76)
Jill's lead goes up to 26 after a good numbers solve, which Pat fails to get near to.
Before going into the break, Susie reveals that she has overruled her original decision to disallow Pat's offering of TAXIES in round 7. Although the plural of TAXI is given as TAXIS, the word TAXIES is mentioned in the definition which leads Susie to decide that there's some sort of misprint in the dictionary.
Therefore, Pat is awarded six points a couple of rounds late, which just about keeps her in the game. Very interesting. This reminds me of Kirk Bevins' second game.http://www.wiki.apterous.org/Episode_4769
The new score is:
64-46 (max 76).
Teatime teaser: OURBRITS -> BURRITOS
Round 10: N P N T I O E M I
C1: PITMEN (6)
C2: MENTION (7)
DC: PIMENTO (7) (Nick) PIMIENTO (8)
Score: 64–53 (max 84)
All of a sudden, Pat's right back in it with her seven and almost within conundrum-striking range. Nick's known for chipping in with an occasional good word of his own and he does it again with PIMENTO. He could have shone even more had he stuck the other I in it though, which leaves DC to do it.
Round 11: S B R L A U I P E
C1: PERUSAL (7)
C2: pearlies (and declared as 7)
DC: BURIALS (7)
OT: BAILERS (7) BURLAPS (7) RAILBUS (7) UPRAISE (7)
Score: 71–53 (max 91)
The eighteen point gap returns immediately though as Pat uses a phantom second E but otherwise it would have been a very nice eight. It looks like there should be more in this selection but seven is in fact the maximum.
OoW: Susie reveals the origins of the terms "little nipper" and "whippersnapper".
Round 12: T N V D O A I A R
C1: RADIANT (7)
C2: RATION (6)
DC: AVOIDANT (8)
Score: 78–53 (max 99)
Jills pulls even further with her RADIANT offering and is on the brink of a third win. A very good darren by DC too.
Round 13: K N T P O E A N E
C1: POTEEN (6)
C2: POKE (4)
DC: PENNATE (7) NEONATE (7)
OT: PENTANE (7)
Score: 84–53 (max 106)
Jill wraps up the game.
Round 14: 25, 4, 4, 10, 9, 3. Target: 257.
C1: 257. 25 x 10 + 4 + 3 (10)
C2: 257. 10 x 25 + 9 - (3 - 4/4) (10)
Score: 94–63 (max 116)
Yet another easy numbers game but Pat goes hilariously round the houses to get the seven
while Jill does the simple way.Round 15: P E E L R A S P S
C1 buzzes on 7.25 seconds to say PAPERLESS which is correct.
Final Score: 104–63 (max 126)
Jill maintains her 100 per cent record on conundrums and in doing so, registers her first century. She seems to be getting stronger each game, as her scores suggest and it looks like she'll take some shifting from the champion's chair. The final score's a little harsh on Pat though and unlike her husband, will not be leaving with the teapot. They can still look forward to their Diamond wedding anniversary though but I'm guessing Jill won't be invited having beaten both of them.
Join James tomorrow to see if Jill can get any closer to octochamp status, which she could secure in my next recap if all goes to plan. See you all then!
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=68