Monday 15th September 2014 (series 71 prelim 45)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 15 September 2014.

C1: Champion Farhan Ahmed (2 wins 183 points) Now on two wins despite becoming only the third person in countdown history to declare an eight as a nine. He has done a 100k trek across the Yorkshire Dales for the charity Oxfam.

C2: Challenger Michelle Lennox. A mobile librarian from Glasgow. She drives a bus to various villages delivering her library books.


DC: Susie Dent and Jenny Eclair.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: T L P I E U Z S A
R02: G N Y O S E T I N
R03: 7, 3, 8, 4, 4, 50. Target: 161.
TTT: CUTETOAD - "Blew the rest away with a stunning perormance"
R04: G S E F I O G A T
R05: H Q T O U E W R N
R06: 5, 2, 2, 8, 6, 50. Target: 692.
R07: T L N O A O C S E
R08: R A E U N G N I S
R09: 7, 8, 2, 10, 3, 25. Target: 326.
TTT: ATESLEPT - "there's no discrimination here, all colours are welcome"
R10: L E R V L O J E H
R11: D N R C I E O E R
R12: T K L I U S F O U
R13: V S P E A E N D I
R14: 5, 9, 8, 4, 7, 50. Target: 350.
R15: A B I G E N T R Y (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: T L P I E U Z S A

Farhan: LAZIEST (7)
Michelle: pilates x
DC: PULSATE (7)
OT: PLATIES (7) SPATZLE (7) STIPULE (7) TALIPES (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)

An unfortunate start for Michelle. It is a fair assumption for any casual player to assume that Pilates would be in, sadly its capitalised so she draws a blank in round one.

SPATZLE are a kind of soft egg noodle or dumpling found in the cuisines of southern Germany
TALIPES is the technical term for the aiment commonly known as “club foot”



Round 2: G N Y O S E T I N

Farhan: TENSING (7)
Michelle: stoney x
DC: STONING (7) NESTING (7)
OT: NOSEYING (8)
Score: 14–0 (max 15)

Michelle offers a disallowed round for the second round in a row. Farhan takes a 14 point lead with his second winning seven on todays show.


Round 3: 7, 3, 8, 4, 4, 50. Target: 161.

Farhan: 161. (50*3)+7+4 (10)
Michelle: 161. Mistake in working.
Score: 24–0 (max 25)

Michelle describes her method and gets to 168 with a 7 still left, but she fails to spot that she can just deduct that 7 to get the answer. Farhan’s method is spot on however and he increases his lead further.


Teatime teaser: CUTETOAD -> OUTACTED




Round 4: G S E F I O G A T

Farhan: FOGGIEST (8)
Michelle: FOGGIEST (8)
DC: FAGGOTS (7)
Score: 32–8 (max 33)

Both players have (the) FOGGIEST.




Round 5: H Q T O U E W R N

Farhan: TORQUE (6)
Michelle: quoter x
DC: THROWN (6) THRONE (6) HUNTER (6)
OT: HORNET (6) ROQUET (6)
Score: 38–8 (max 39)

Susie expresses surprise that Michelle’s offer of quoter is invalid. This gives Farhan an even bigger lead and he is now 30 points up despite the fact that we are only at round 5.



Round 6: 5, 2, 2, 8, 6, 50. Target: 692.

Farhan: 692. (8+6)*50)-10+2 (10)
Michelle: 696.
Score: 48–8 (max 49)

Its another straightforward numbers game but Michelle cannot get there. With Farhan now leading by 40 points, Michelle would need a record equalling comeback to get the win today.




Round 7: T L N O A O C S E

Farhan: ETALONS (7)
Michelle: LOCATES (7)
DC: CONSOLE (7) LACTONES (8)
OT: COOLANTS (8) ECOTONAL (8)
Score: 55–15 (max 57)


Sevens for the contestants but DC spot one of the three eights available.




Round 8: R A E U N G N I S

Farhan: EARNINGS (8)
Michelle: SEARING (7)
DC: GRANNIES (8) ENSURING (8) GUNNERAS (8)
OT: ENGRAINS (8) SANGUINE (8)
Score: 63–15 (max 65)


Its an eight fest in this round and Farhan spots one of them to make his lead even more commanding…




Round 9: 7, 8, 2, 10, 3, 25. Target: 326.

Farhan: 326. ((10+3)*25)+(8-7) (10)
Michelle: -
Score: 73–15 (max 75)

Its been a poor numbers day for Michelle as she misses another easy numbers game. Farhan continues to hold on to a numbers max in the game.


Teatime teaser: ATESLEPT -> PALETTES

Round 10: L E R V L O J E H

Farhan: HOLLER (6)
Michelle: HOLLER (6)
OT: HELLER (6) JOLLER (6)
Score: 79–21 (max 81)

No problems here for either contestant as they both get HOLLER. The game is already as good as won for Farhan but how high a score ca he get



Round 11: D N R C I E O E R

Farhan: CORNERED (8)
Michelle: CORNERED (8)
Score: 87–29 (max 89)

It’s a Darrenic max for both contestants as Michelle gets her first eight of the game. With this round its no longer mathematically possible for her to win (though realistically she’d lost several rounds ago)




Round 12: T K L I U S F O U

Farhan: FLOUTS (6)
Michelle: FLOUTS (6)
OT: KULFIS (6)
Score: 93–35 (max 95)


Two sixes here, one really common and one obscure. Farhan and Michelle both settle for the more straightforward of the two.
KULFIS is the plural of KULFI a popular frozen dairy dessert from the Indian Subcontinent


Round 13: V S P E A E N D I

Farhan: PEAVINES (8)
Michelle: EVADES (6)
OT: SPAVINED (8)
Score: 101–35 (max 103)

Farhan says his word is risky, presumably he must have got it from Apterous…



Round 14: 5, 9, 8, 4, 7, 50. Target: 350.

Farhan: 350. 50*7 (10)
Michelle: 350. 50*7 (10)
Score: 111–45 (max 113)

The mother of all simple numbers games ensures a higher score for Michelle. Farhan had won several rounds ago and seems really relaxed now.




Round 15: A B I G E N T R Y

Farhan buzzes on 10 seconds to say BETRAYING which is correct.
Final Score: 121–45 (max 123)


Well done to Farhan on a really excellent score that was just 2 points off the max. He’s an excellent player and also a very likeable screen presence, one of those nice blokes you want to see do really well.

Tomorrow he faces another excellent player who’s also a top bloke, in the shape of Paul Worsley, should be a really good game. Good luck to them both.

It’s a full week of countdown this week so no interruptions for horse racing, it’ll be nice to see whoever wins tomorrow go on and win all the games this week….





Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71

[George Pryn]

nice farhan only two from the max!!!!!

[James Robinson]

Now that I've seen it, can I just point out that Michelle spelt her name with one L, so it's Michele.

[Gavin Chipper]

Now that I've seen it, can I just point out that Michelle spelt her name with one L, so it's Michele.

As in Michele Alboreto.