Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 16 October 2013.
C1: Champion Mark Hartnett (1 win, 119 points.) An Apterite and creative media mature student from Dublin. He's the 2nd best Tetris player in Ireland. (He must be a chip off the old computer block.
)C2: Challenger Edel Creely. A managing director for an IT services company from Terenure, Dublin. She spent a week on the Essequibo River in Guyana next to plenty of snakes, and one actually went into the house that she was staying in.
DC: Susie Dent and Arlene Phillips, making her DC début today, and is also the 7th female in a row in DC. (Interestingly, her daughter, Alana, seems to be credited as a make-up artist for the show today.
)RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: P N B A I E L O D
R02: R K N I A E H P O
R03: 25, 4, 9, 3, 4, 9. Target: 679.
TTT: KIMGRINS - "Kim grins in a very smug way"
R04: L M C E O I N W C
R05: B T S E I O D U S
R06: 75, 6, 9, 1, 4, 10. Target: 860.
R07: D N R E A E S O T
R08: Y N V M E I O R G
R09: 50, 8, 8, 1, 1, 10. Target: 522.
TTT: TIPSICES - "Tips ices into his mouth after this type of food"
R10: S L F U A O T D E
R11: G R N F O U I A N
R12: G X S R E I O H I
R13: D M Q T O A E A T
R14: 25, 9, 8, 3, 1, 6. Target: 892.
R15: I S S C O L D E D (conundrum)
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Round 1: P N B A I E L O D
C1: PALINODE (8)
C2: PAINED (6)
DC: PLAINED (7)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)
Nice to see PALINODE return to the screen, definitely with Mark's seal of approval.
Round 2: R K N I A E H P O
C1: HANKER (6)
C2: PRANK (5)
DC: ORPHAN (6) HEPARIN (7)
OT: PHONIER (7)
Score: 14–0 (max 15)
Definitely having HANKERED in his first round yesterday helps Mark in this round too, but for the 3rd time in just over a week, HEPARIN makes yet another appearance
At this rate, it's gonna be the new GODETIA(S). Round 3: 25, 4, 9, 3, 4, 9. Target: 679.
C1: 679. (3 x 9 x 25) + 4 (10)
C2: 679. (3 x 9 x 25) + 4 (10)
Score: 24–10 (max 25)
A nice and easy numbers to begin with, which gets Edel off the mark.
Teatime teaser: KIMGRINS -> SMIRKING
Round 4: L M C E O I N W C
C1: OILMEN (6)
C2: COMIC (5)
DC: INCOME (6) COWMEN (6)
OT: CLONIC (6) MOLINE (6)
Score: 30–10 (max 31)
Not too much joy, but Mark does find one of the few 6's there to extend his lead further.
CLONIC relates to CLONUS, a rapid succession of flexions and extensions of a group of muscles, usually signifying an affection of the brain or spinal cord.
In heraldry, a MOLINE is a cross with arms of equal length, split and curved back at the ends.
Round 5: B T S E I O D U S
C1: SUBEDITS (8)
C2: OUTBIDS (7)
DC: BEST (4) OUTSIDE (7) OUTSIDES (8)
Score: 38–10 (max 39)
Now it definitely helps when you have exactly the same letters selection in the previous show, and even have the skill to say the alternative 8 that you didn't get in the previous show.
Round 6: 75, 6, 9, 1, 4, 10. Target: 860.
C1: 860. (6 - 4 + 9 + 75) x 10 (10)
C2: -
Score: 48–10 (max 49)
Another simple numbers game, but it's got Edel all out and still on 10.........
Arlene talks about some of the cool parties that she has attended thanks to her showbiz connections.
Round 7: D N R E A E S O T
C1: treasoned
C2: DEAREST (7)
DC: TREASON (7) ENDORSE (7) RESONATED (18)
Score: 48–17 (max 67)
Oh dear..............., Mark I'm sure will be annoyed at missing RESONATED, and instead goes for treasoned, which just gives Edel some hope.
Round 8: Y N V M E I O R G
C1: REMOVING (8)
C2: grimey
DC: GRIMY (5)
Score: 56–17 (max 75)
But, seconds later, it's gone, as Mark's darrenic 8 reasserts his authority on this game, even if Nick mistakenly reads out the score from the previous round again.......
Round 9: 50, 8, 8, 1, 1, 10. Target: 522.
C1: 521. ((50 + 1 + 1) x 10) + (8 / 8) (7)
C2: 521. ((50 + 1 + 1) x 10) + (8 / 8) (7)
RR: 522. (50 + 8) x (8 + 1) (10)
Score: 63–24 (max 85)
A lack of knowledge of the 58 times table doesn't help our contestants, as they have to stick to one away this time...............
Teatime teaser: TIPSICES -> SPICIEST
Round 10: S L F U A O T D E
C1: FLOUTED (7)
C2: FAULTED (7)
DC: SALTED (6) SALUTED (7) DEFAULTS (8)
Score: 70–31 (max 93)
A couple more 7's here from the contestants, as it's DC's turn to go darrenic with the 8 here.
Round 11: G R N F O U I A N
C1: fouring
C2: GROAN (5)
DC: FOUR (4) GRUNION (7)
Score: 70–36 (max 100)
Having been in the audience for this episode 4 years ago, I had a feeling what was going to happen next when Mark said fouring, and my worries were justified............
Very nice 7 from DC too. Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the new Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations, edited by our old Countdown friend, Gyles Brandreth. Amongst the quotations read out are ones from Guy Ritchie, Tim Vine, Eric Pickles and Boris Johnson.
Round 12: G X S R E I O H I
C1: OGREISH (7)
C2: HOSIER (6)
Score: 77–36 (max 107)
This time, Mark's gamble pays off, and his disgusting sounding 7 gives him the game.
Round 13: D M Q T O A E A T
C1: MOATED (6)
C2: MATTED (6)
Score: 83–42 (max 113)
Not much to get in this round with both 6's got easily.
Round 14: 25, 9, 8, 3, 1, 6. Target: 892.
C1: 892. ((3 + 1) x 25 x 9) - 8 (10)
C2: -
Score: 93–42 (max 123)
Edel freezes up again, letting Mark take full advantage, and also letting him get the chance to get his 2nd century.
Round 15: I S S C O L D E D
C2 buzzes on 4 seconds to say DISCLOSED which is correct.
Final Score: 93–52 (max 133)
But, instead Edel gets some nice compensation with a nice 10 point bonus.
Mark carried on where he left off yesterday and put in another comprehensive performance with just a couple of chances which I think he knew weren't in, but I'm sure he'll gloss over that and prepare himself for tomorrow's game.
I'll be back tomorrow for Mark's hat-trick attempt.
Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Mark:
Total score - 93
Raw score - 93
Total % of max - 70
Raw % of max - 70
Total average score per round - 6.2
Raw average score per round - 6.2
Number of maxes - 9
Edel:
Total score - 52
Raw score - 81
Total % of max - 39
Raw % of max - 61
Total average score per round - 3.5
Raw average score per round - 5.4
Number of maxes - 3
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=69