Monday 6th May 2013 (Series 68, Prelim 39)

[Graeme Cole]

Countdown recap for Monday 6 May 2013.

C1: Champion Eileen Taylor (7 wins, 651 points) is a retired personnel officer from Sydenham, London. At 74, she's one win away from being the show's oldest ever octochamp. Whatever happens in this game, she'll be #3 seed at the end of it; only an impossible winning score of 238 would be enough to overtake Andy Platt.
C2: Challenger Jake Elliott from Canterbury is studying Fine Art and Digital Media. He's previously worked at Charlton football ground as a kitchen assistant.
DC: Susie Dent and Gyles Brandreth.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: E A I G S R C F P
R02: R N H G E I U E S
R03: 75, 7, 1, 8, 6, 2. Target: 116.
TTT: OBOESACK - "For things that are read, this is usually brown."
R04: N T S R I O A C K
R05: E A O N V B M S U
R06: 100, 10, 9, 1, 10, 4. Target: 983.
R07: A E I Y M R S D M
R08: T R O E O A X S W
R09: 75, 10, 1, 10, 6, 4. Target: 459.
TTT: BESORICH - "You don't need to be rich, but you'll need a bit of dough."
R10: F J D G O E A R E
R11: U I A N V N T D O
R12: T S B L E A U H R
R13: E O I P N R T N D
R14: 100, 3, 10, 3, 9, 2. Target: 874.
R15: T I N Y P L A T E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: E A I G S R C F P

C1: SCRAPIE (7)
C2: praiser
DC: PIGFACES (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)

PRAISER is in, but Jake's used an R twice which gifts the first round to Eileen.


Round 2: R N H G E I U E S

C1: SEEING (6)
C2: GENIUS (6)
DC: USHERING (8)
OT: GREENISH (8) HEURIGEN (8) SEIGNEUR (8) SHEERING (8)
Score: 13–6 (max 16)

HEURIGEN is a plural of HEURIGER, which is an Austrian term for wine from the latest harvest.


Round 3: 75, 7, 1, 8, 6, 2. Target: 116.

C1: 116. 6*7-1+75 (10)
C2: -
Score: 23–6 (max 26)

Jake's nowhere on the numbers, so Eileen is already looking strong favourite for this game.


Teatime teaser: OBOESACK -> BOOKCASE

Round 4: N T S R I O A C K

C1: RATIONS (7)
C2: COINS (5)
DC: CANTORIS (8)
OT: CORTINAS (8)
Score: 30–6 (max 34)

Eileen goes even further in front. Gyles finds CANTORIS, which is a section of a church or cathedral.


Round 5: E A O N V B M S U

C1: VENOM (5)
C2: BONUS (5)
DC: BEMOANS (7)
OT: AMBONES (7) SUNBEAM (7) UMBONES (7)
Score: 35–11 (max 41)

Both players miss the sevens in this round, but Eileen's still comfortably in front.


Round 6: 100, 10, 9, 1, 10, 4. Target: 983.

C1: 984. 10*100-(9+1+10)+4 (7)
C2: 982. 100*10-(10+9)+1 (7)
RR: 983. 10*100-((4-1)*9-10) (10)
Score: 42–18 (max 51)

One away either side from our contestants means the gap is still 24 going into Gyles' anecdote, which today is about oxymorons and oxycretins.


Round 7: A E I Y M R S D M

C1: MYRIADS (7)
C2: DREAMS (6)
DC: MERMAIDS (8)
Score: 49–18 (max 59)

If you're wondering whether the correct expression is "a myriad of things" or "myriad things", it can be either a noun or an adjective. A MYRIAD was originally a unit of ten thousand.


Round 8: T R O E O A X S W

C1: EXTRAS (6)
C2: WORST (5)
OT: OATERS (6) ORATES (6) OXTERS (6) RAWEST (6) SERTAO (6) STORAX (6) TAWERS (6) TAXERS (6) TOWERS (6) WAREST (6) WASTER (6) WATERS (6) WAXERS (6) WOOERS (6)
Score: 55–18 (max 65)

Eileen's cricket-themed word hits Jake for six.


Round 9: 75, 10, 1, 10, 6, 4. Target: 459.

C1: 459. 6*75+10-1 (10)
C2: 459. (4*10+6)*10-1 (10)
Score: 65–28 (max 75)

Both players spot on with the numbers, and Jake does it without using the 75.


Teatime teaser: BESORICH -> BRIOCHES


Round 10: F J D G O E A R E

C1: FORAGED (7)
C2: FEARED (6)
DC: fargo
Score: 72–28 (max 82)

Barring an unprecedented comeback by Jake, Eileen's got the game in the bag now.


Round 11: U I A N V N T D O

C1: ANOINT (6)
C2: VAIN (4)
OT: INDUNA (6) NATION (6)
Score: 78–28 (max 88)

Another max for Eileen. An INDUNA is a tribal councillor in South Africa.


Round 12: T S B L E A U H R

C1: BLATHERS (8)
C2: HUSTLER (7)
DC: BLUSHER (7)
OT: BALUSTER (8) HALBERTS (8)
Score: 86–28 (max 96)

Have you been watching the snooker over the last couple of weeks? Countdown is a bit like snooker. Just without any balls (usually). And completely different rules.

Eileen is 58 ahead with 38 on the table. Jake requires five snookers. John Virgo still has no idea where the cue ball is going.


Round 13: E O I P N R T N D

C1: PORTEND (7)
C2: POINTER (7)
OT: INDENTOR (8)
Score: 93–35 (max 104)

Nobody finds INDENTOR, but Eileen's already won the game and now has a chance of making her third century.


Round 14: 100, 3, 10, 3, 9, 2. Target: 874.

C1: 874. 100*9-(10+3)*2 (10)
C2: 874. 9*100-2*10-(3+3) (10)
Score: 103–45 (max 114)

And she does. If Eileen gets the conundrum she will not only have become an octochamp, but done it with her highest score yet.


Round 15: T I N Y P L A T E

No one buzzes. The answer was PATIENTLY.
Final Score: 103–45 (max 124)

But nobody gets the conundrum, so it's left to five-time winner from series 67 Sohail Virdi to bag a Countdown mug.

Eileen stays as #3 seed with 8 wins and 754 points. Depending on how the last few preliminaries go, it's just possible Eileen will face a quarter-final rematch against Jill Hayward. Not sure how many preliminaries are left, but it appears it's not as many as you might think - this week and next there are only four episodes in total, and there might be more such antics in June. What is certain is that Eileen will qualify for the quarter-finals.


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=68

[Ian Volante]

RR: 983. 10*100-((4-1)*3-10) (10)

Huh?

[Guy Barry]

RR: 983. 10*100-((4-1)*3-10) (10)

Huh?

"3" is a typo for "9". There was no 3 in the selection.

[Graeme Cole]

RR: 983. 10*100-((4-1)*3-10) (10)

Huh?

"3" is a typo for "9". There was no 3 in the selection.

Thanks. Fixed.