Monday 10th June 2013 (Series 68, Prelim 57)

[Graeme Cole]

Countdown recap for Monday 10 June 2013.

C1: Champion Glen Webb (3 wins, 338 points) has already won more games than in his previous appearance in 1992, but Nick, ever the critic, says he's "on the slide". Yeah, pull your finger out, Glen, you only scored 122 points in your last game.
C2: Challenger Mike Stone is a retired computer operator from Birstall. Nick points out to Mike that Glen's a good player, but reassures him that "normally, three or four games in, they implode".
DC: Susie Dent and Dan Snow.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: T D S B A U E U L
R02: M M A I N E T P O
R03: 75, 3, 6, 8, 5, 1. Target: 920.
TTT: CUTELDER - "Was cut down to size by his elder and given a ticking off."
R04: Z E A M L J E R S
R05: G D G C E O A P T
R06: 75, 5, 7, 1, 8, 1. Target: 762.
R07: K C D S I O E N U
R08: W S N R N E E O I
R09: 50, 3, 8, 2, 5, 10. Target: 688.
TTT: RELISHES - "It's when you have nobody to leave all your wigs to, perhaps?"
R10: E G T D A H N O O
R11: F H L R E I E S U
R12: Y R M R A O A S Q
R13: B T N G E I E S D
R14: 75, 7, 9, 3, 1, 9. Target: 609.
R15: E G G A V A T A R (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: T D S B A U E U L

C1: BALDEST (7)
C2: BUSTLED (7)
DC: BLASTED (7)
OT: SUBADULT (8) SUBLATED (8) SUBULATE (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

We start the week with seven each. SUBULATE is a botanical adjective meaning tapering to a point. SUBLATE means to assimilate a smaller thing into a larger one. And SUBADULT is exactly what you might think - an animal who isn't yet an adult.


Round 2: M M A I N E T P O

C1: PTOMAINE (8)
C2: MAIM (4)
DC: PANTOMIME (18)
Score: 15–7 (max 26)

Mike says he's "lost it" on this round, and only finds a four. This allows Glen to go ahead with PTOMAINE, but Susie and Dan find PANTOMIME for nine.


Round 3: 75, 3, 6, 8, 5, 1. Target: 920.

C1: 918. (8+5-1)*75+6*3 (7)
C2: 913.
RR: 920. ((3+6-1)*5+75)*8 (10)
Score: 22–7 (max 36)

We go into a tricky numbers game. Glen takes the points, but Rachel achieves perfection.


Teatime teaser: CUTELDER -> LECTURED

Round 4: Z E A M L J E R S

C1: REALMS (6)
C2: LAMER (5)
DC: SLEAZE (6)
OT: LAMERS (6) LEASER (6) MAZERS (6) MERLES (6) RESALE (6) RESEAL (6) SEALER (6) SEAMER (6)
Score: 28–7 (max 42)

If you're wondering about MEALERS^ or SLEAZER, forget it. Six is as good as it gets, and Glen improves his lead even more.


Round 5: G D G C E O A P T

C1: TAGGED (6)
C2: TAGGED (6)
DC: GADGET (6) POTAGE (6)
OT: CAPOTE (6) COATED (6) COGGED (6) DOTAGE (6) TOECAP (6) TOGGED (6)
Score: 34–13 (max 48)

Another flat round, but this time Mike tags along with Glen.


Round 6: 75, 5, 7, 1, 8, 1. Target: 762.

C1: 762. (8+1+1)*75+7+5 (10)
C2: 762. (8+1+1)*75+7+5 (10)
Score: 44–23 (max 58)

A relatively straightforward numbers game from both leads us into the anecdote. Dan Snow tells us about, among other things, participating in the Boat Race. Incidentally, the Wikipedia page on the race includes details of two "mutinies". I was expecting an attempted takeover of the boat while they were rowing up the Thames. Turns out it's not nearly as interesting as that.


Round 7: K C D S I O E N U

C1: SNICKED (7)
C2: SNICKED (7)
DC: DUCKIES (7)
OT: DICKENS (7) DOCKENS (7) DOESKIN (7) INCUDES (7) INCUSED (7) INDUCES (7) SECONDI (7) UNDOCKS (7)
Score: 51–30 (max 65)

Cricket fans will be no stranger to SNICKED. Glen and Mike get the max.


Round 8: W S N R N E E O I

C1: SNOWIER (7)
C2: WINNERS (7)
DC: WIENERS (7) SENIOR (6)
OT: NERINES (7) NEWSIER (7)
Score: 58–37 (max 72)

Glen pays homage to this week's guest. A NERINE is a plant.


Round 9: 50, 3, 8, 2, 5, 10. Target: 688.

C1: 685. (8/2+10)*50-3*5 (7)
C2: 680.
RR: 688. (50+3+5)*(10+2)-8 (10)
Score: 65–37 (max 82)

Glen beats Mike on the numbers again, and goes into part three looking strong favourite.


Teatime teaser: RELISHES -> HEIRLESS


Round 10: E G T D A H N O O

C1: THONGED (7)
C2: THONGED (7)
OT: ODONATE (7) TANGOED (7)
Score: 72–44 (max 89)

Neither player's sure about THONGED, but it's in. It's like that favourite word of the Countdown studio QUIRTED, but with a longer whip.


Round 11: F H L R E I E S U

C1: FLESHIER (8)
C2: HEIFERS (7)
DC: FLUSHER (7)
OT: FUSILEER (8)
Score: 80–44 (max 97)

Dan notes that a FLUSHER is a person employed to clean unmentionable detritus off of sewer grates. He knows because he's done that job for a day and picked up a nasty facial infection.


Round 12: Y R M R A O A S Q

C1: ROSARY (6)
C2: ROSARY (6)
DC: MARRAS (6)
OT: ARMORY (6) AROMAS (6) ARRAYS (6) MAYORS (6) MORAYS (6)
Score: 86–50 (max 103)

MARRA is a northern English or Scottish term for a friend, a bit like "mate". ARMORY is fine despite looking a bit American - in its heraldic sense it can be spelt without a U.


Round 13: B T N G E I E S D

C1: BENDIEST (8)
C2: BESTING (7)
DC: INGESTED (8)
OT: BEIGNETS (8)
Score: 94–50 (max 111)

Glen seals his fourth win with BENDIEST.


Round 14: 75, 7, 9, 3, 1, 9. Target: 609.

C1: 609. (7+1)*75+9 (10)
C2: 609. Mistake in working.
Score: 104–50 (max 121)

It looks like both players have this numbers game sewn up, but Mike does (9-3)*75 and unexpectedly lands on 450, not 600.


Round 15: E G G A V A T A R

Glen buzzes on 3 seconds to say AGGRAVATE which is correct.
Final Score: 114–50 (max 131)

Glen takes his third conundrum spot in four games. While his other two were on 28-29 seconds, he polishes off this one in short order, but tomorrow, no doubt Nick, will pointedly mention that he scored eight lower than he did yesterday. After today we've got three prelims left before the quarter-finals start, so Glen can only get up to seven wins this series before he carries over to the next one. This means if we do see him in the finals of this series it'll be because he lost on six wins or fewer, so he can't overtake any of our four octochamps at the top of the table. What this means is that next Monday I'll be recapping Andy Platt's quarter-final against the eventual #7 seed. After that there's a (possibly horse-related) Countdown absence for the rest of the week so I'll also be doing the quarter-final between Eileen Taylor and the #6 seed the following Monday.


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

[James Robinson]

Round 2: M M A I N E T P O

C1: PTOMAINE (8)
C2: MAIM (4)
DC: PANTOMIME (18)
Score: 15–7 (max 26)

It sounded like MAIN to me, taking the obvious word from the selection there...........

[Graeme Cole]

Round 2: M M A I N E T P O

C1: PTOMAINE (8)
C2: MAIM (4)
DC: PANTOMIME (18)
Score: 15–7 (max 26)

It sounded like MAIN to me, taking the obvious word from the selection there...........

Hmm, are you sure? Just watched that round again, to me it definitely sounds like MAIM.

[James Robinson]

Round 2: M M A I N E T P O

C1: PTOMAINE (8)
C2: MAIM (4)
DC: PANTOMIME (18)
Score: 15–7 (max 26)

It sounded like MAIN to me, taking the obvious word from the selection there...........

Hmm, are you sure? Just watched that round again, to me it definitely sounds like MAIM.

Well, let's agree to disagree.

[Jack Worsley]

It sounded very much like MAIM to me but I've only heard it once.

[Philip Wilson]

Countdown recap for Monday 10 June 2013.

Glen takes his third conundrum spot in four games. While his other two were on 28-29 seconds, he polishes off this one in short order, but tomorrow, no doubt Nick, will pointedly mention that he scored eight lower than he did yesterday. After today we've got three prelims left before the quarter-finals start, so Glen can only get up to seven wins this series before he carries over to the next one. This means if we do see him in the finals of this series it'll be because he lost on six wins or fewer, so he can't overtake any of our four octochamps at the top of the table. What this means is that next Monday I'll be recapping Andy Platt's quarter-final against the eventual #7 seed. After that there's a (possibly horse-related) Countdown absence for the rest of the week so I'll also be doing the quarter-final between Eileen Taylor and the #6 seed the following Monday.

What happens if Glen carries on into the next series but then loses his 8th game and then, as it's a full-length series, his score is overtaken by 8 other people, so he doesn't make the finals? Is that possible? If so it might be better to deliberately lose game 7 to ensure a place in This series' finals

On the maim or main subject, I just rewatched* with subtitles and they say 'maim'. *Maybe not a legit word

[Ian Volante]

C2: Challenger Mike Stone is a retired computer operator from Birstall.

Which Birstall?

MARRA is a northern English or Scottish term for a friend, a bit like "mate". ARMORY is fine despite looking a bit American - in its heraldic sense it can be spelt without a U.

The Whitehaven rugby team are known as the Marras I believe, it might be used for people from Whitehaven in general too.

In fact, the teams' web address is http://www.marras.co.uk, and it's wonderfully 90s on there

[Jack Worsley]

What happens if Glen carries on into the next series but then loses his 8th game and then, as it's a full-length series, his score is overtaken by 8 other people, so he doesn't make the finals? Is that possible? If so it might be better to deliberately lose game 7 to ensure a place in This series' finals

On the maim or main subject, I just rewatched* with subtitles and they say 'maim'. *Maybe not a legit word

It could technically happen but it's highly unlikely. I think Glen would prefer to keep winning to give himself a great chance of becoming an octochamp instead. Having said that, if he starts missing easy nines, at least we know why.

*And sadly REWATCHED^ isn't a word according to the OED

[Guy Barry]

What happens if Glen carries on into the next series but then loses his 8th game and then, as it's a full-length series, his score is overtaken by 8 other people, so he doesn't make the finals? Is that possible? If so it might be better to deliberately lose game 7 to ensure a place in This series' finals

This strikes me as something of a flaw in the format of the competition. Wouldn't it be better to give the reigning champion the option of competing in the current series' finals if he or she qualifies?

[Jack Worsley]

What happens if Glen carries on into the next series but then loses his 8th game and then, as it's a full-length series, his score is overtaken by 8 other people, so he doesn't make the finals? Is that possible? If so it might be better to deliberately lose game 7 to ensure a place in This series' finals

This strikes me as something of a flaw in the format of the competition. Wouldn't it be better to give the reigning champion the option of competing in the current series' finals if he or she qualifies?

There have been many examples of players ending their run early to take part in the series finals but it hasn't happened for a long time. I'm not sure exactly when the rules changed but as far as I know, no one has done it during the 15-round era.

[James Robinson]

C2: Challenger Mike Stone is a retired computer operator from Birstall.

Which Birstall?

The one that we both know, Ian.

[Ian Volante]

C2: Challenger Mike Stone is a retired computer operator from Birstall.

Which Birstall?

The one that we both know, Ian.

Good stuff. Rare to hear it mentioned, ever!

[James Robinson]

Round 2: M M A I N E T P O

C1: PTOMAINE (8)
C2: MAIM (4)
DC: PANTOMIME (18)
Score: 15–7 (max 26)

It sounded like MAIN to me, taking the obvious word from the selection there...........

Hmm, are you sure? Just watched that round again, to me it definitely sounds like MAIM.

I've just watched it again, and I will concede that it was indeed MAIM. **Bows down to master**

[Gavin Chipper]

What happens if Glen carries on into the next series but then loses his 8th game and then, as it's a full-length series, his score is overtaken by 8 other people, so he doesn't make the finals? Is that possible? If so it might be better to deliberately lose game 7 to ensure a place in This series' finals

This strikes me as something of a flaw in the format of the competition. Wouldn't it be better to give the reigning champion the option of competing in the current series' finals if he or she qualifies?

There's problems with that too, like being able to pick and chooses which series to go in. I think the "best" solution (for these purposes) would be to say that unless someone has enough time to complete 8 games inside the series that they start in, they are automatically only eligible for the knockout stages of the next series right from their first game.