As it's MMXV, it's time to get out the hoverboard and head Back to the Future.......
Enjoy. Countdown recap for Wednesday 7 January 2015.
C1: Champion Andy Noden (3 wins, 312 points.) An Apterite and retail adviser from St. Helens, Merseyside.
C2: Challenger Ruth Bland. A retired administrative office from Amble, Northumberland. She has a phobia of moths (known as mottephobia) and it was so bad that she stopped her car on a roundabout so that someone could get them out of her air vent.
DC: Susie Dent and Jon Culshaw.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: Y L B E A I O H P
R02: M T N I A U F E K
R03: 75, 1, 8, 8, 1, 6. Target: 378.
TTT: GRANISNT - "Gran isn't happy, she's known for these verbal outbursts"
R04: T A E C P M U I D
R05: A I C V E D O L P
R06: 100, 10, 5, 9, 10, 1. Target: 922.
R07: S T E A U S M I D
R08: N D A E A R J S O
R09: 25, 1, 2, 2, 8, 7. Target: 249.
TTT: CLINGNOW - "The orange and white fish is always mucking about"
R10: G D T E A O N G F
R11: P N T I U O E G N
R12: R W I E A M T E S
R13: U O T R N L T A I
R14: 50, 5, 3, 10, 2, 9. Target: 413.
R15: M A I N T O P I C (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: Y L B E A I O H P
Andy: PHOBIA (6)
Ruth: PHOBIA (6)
OT: BAILEY (6) HABILE (6) OBELIA (6)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)
What an amazing start!!! After literally just talking about Ruth's PHOBIA of moths, both contestants find PHOBIA in the first letters selection
HABILE is a rare adjective meaning deft or skilful.
An OBELIA is a sedentary colonial coelenterate with upright branching stems bearing minute cups in which the polyps sit. (Genus Obelia, class Hydrozoa)
Round 2: M T N I A U F E K
Andy: FUNKIA (6)
Ruth: FAINT (5)
DC: INTAKE (6) MINUET (6)
OT: AUNTIE (6) FAMINE (6) INMATE (6) KENTIA (6) KUMITE (6) MINUTE (6) TAIMEN (6) UNMAKE (6)
Score: 12–6 (max 12)
I'm sure everyone was thinking "Where's the R?", when Andy said FUNKIA, but he did say FUNKIA, as opposed to funkier, which gets him the lead.
A KENTIA (or KENTIA PALM) is an Australasian palm tree which is popular as a houseplant while it is young. (Howeia (or Howea, formerly Kentia) forsteriana, family Palmae)
In martial arts, KUMITE is freestyle fighting.
A TAIMEN is a food fish that is closely related to the huchen, widespread in Siberia and eastern Asia. (Hucho taimen, family Salmonidae)
Round 3: 75, 1, 8, 8, 1, 6. Target: 378.
Andy: 377. ((6 - 1) x 75) + (8 / 8) + 1 (7)
Ruth: 378. Mistake in working.
RR: 378. ((6 - 1) x (75 - 1)) + 8 (10)
Score: 19–6 (max 22)
Well, has Ruth taken the lead with a perfect solve
No, because she thought that 5 x 75 = 385...... 
Andy's 1 away (or 2 away, if you listen to Rachel carefully..... ) gets him another 7 points, while Rachel shows us perfection. Teatime teaser: GRANISNT -> RANTINGS (Only 1 person has ever successfully had RANTINGS allowed in the history of the show. I wonder who that was
)Round 4: T A E C P M U I D
Andy: PUMICED (7)
Ruth: CAMPED (6)
DC: IMPACTED (8)
Score: 26–6 (max 30)
Andy goes further ahead with a brilliant rock hard verb, while DC go darrenic with an even harder verb.
Round 5: A I C V E D O L P
Andy: POLICED (7)
Ruth: PLACED (6)
DC: PEDALO (6)
OT: PLACOID (7)
Score: 33–6 (max 37)
Andy is clearly in control here, as his words skills have certainly not left him in these shows.
PLACOID is an adjective referring to tooth-like fish scales, being made of dentine with a pointed backward projection of enamel, as in sharks and rays.
Round 6: 100, 10, 5, 9, 10, 1. Target: 922.
Andy: 921. (100 x 9) + 10 + 10 + 1 (7)
Ruth: 921. (100 x 9) + 10 + 10 + 1 (7)
RR: 922. ((100 - 9 + 1) x 10) + (10 / 5) (10)
Score: 40–13 (max 47)
Another numbers miss for Andy here, but with Ruth only equalling him, he is still in complete control of this game.
Jon talks about his column in The Sky At Night magazine, and letting us reminisce his brilliant impression of Alan Bennett.
Round 7: S T E A U S M I D
Andy: STADIUMS (8)
Ruth: MISUSED (7)
DC: DEMISTS (7)
OT: MISDATES (8)
Score: 48–13 (max 55)
After mentioning STADIA/STADIUMS earlier in the week, it's clear that Andy has been listening/watching the show very carefully.
Round 8: N D A E A R J S O
Andy: REASON (6)
Ruth: ADORNS (6)
DC: ARENAS (6)
OT: ADORES (6) ANODES (6) DENARS (6) DORJES (6) DRONES (6) OREADS (6) ORENDA (6) REDANS (6) RONDES (6) SANDER (6) SNARED (6) SNORED (6) SOARED (6)
Score: 54–19 (max 61)
6's aplenty in this round.
The DENAR is the basic monetary unit of the republic of Macedonia.
In Tibetan Buddhism, a DORJE is a representation of a thunderbolt in the form of a short double trident or sceptre, symbolizing the male aspect of the spirit and held during invocations and prayers.
In Greek & Roman Mythology, an OREAD is a nymph believed to inhabit mountains.
ORENDA is invisible magic power believed by the Iroquois to pervade all natural objects as a spiritual energy.
A REDAN is an arrow-shaped embankment forming part of a fortification.
A RONDE is a dance in which the dancers move in a circle.
Round 9: 25, 1, 2, 2, 8, 7. Target: 249.
Andy: 249. ((8 + 2) x 25) - 1 (10)
Ruth: 249. ((8 + 2) x 25) - 1 (10)
Score: 64–29 (max 71)
At last, a simple numbers game for both players.
Teatime teaser: CLINGNOW -> CLOWNING
Round 10: G D T E A O N G F
Andy: TANGOED (7)
Ruth: NAGGED (6)
DC: TONGED (6) FAGGOTED (8)
Score: 71–29 (max 79)
A lovely dancing number from Andy, while an interesting darrenic 8 is found by DC...........
Round 11: P N T I U O E G N
Andy: POUTINE (7)
Ruth: POUTING (7)
DC: OPENING (7) PENGUIN (7)
OT: GUNPOINT (8)
Score: 78–36 (max 87)
Plenty of 7's all around, but everyone missed being held at GUNPOINT for a darrenic 8...........
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "fiddle while Rome burned" and "fiddlesticks".
Round 12: R W I E A M T E S
Andy: EMIRATES (8)
Ruth: WAITERS (7)
DC: WEARIEST (8) STEAMIER (8)
OT: STEMWARE (8) SWEATIER (8)
Score: 86–36 (max 95)
Memories of the grand final of the last series return thanks to Andy's offering of EMIRATES, which also seals the win for him, meaning that Andy is now a half-octochamp.
STEMWARE is a North American term for goblets and stemmed glasses regarded collectively.
Round 13: U O T R N L T A I
Andy: RAINOUT (7)
Ruth: OUTRAN (6)
DC: TITULAR (7)
OT: RUTILANT (8) TUTORIAL (8)
Score: 93–36 (max 103)
Another classic 7 of recent times from Andy (and as he points out, not a favourite of Nick's
), he's certainly on to break the highest score of the series, which was set by............oh, him just 2 days ago. RUTILANT is a literary adjective meaning glowing or glittering with red or golden light.
Round 14: 50, 5, 3, 10, 2, 9. Target: 413.
Andy: 413. ((50 - 3) x 9) - 10 (10)
Ruth: 412.
Score: 103–36 (max 113)
An impressive method by Andy gets him his 3rd century, but can he beat his 106 from Monday's show
Round 15: M A I N T O P I C
Andy buzzes on 11 seconds to say IMPACTION which is correct.
Final Score: 113–36 (max 123)
He can indeed, even though he wasn't sure, I wasn't sure, and Nick wasn't sure even though he had the answer in front of him
Well, it's another impressive display from Andy, who has already racked up 425 points from his 4 games, and his letters games especially have been very consistent. He also has a 100% record on conundrums too, which is impressive.
Join me tomorrow to see if he can carry on his impressive run and become the first octochamp of the series and the year.
So, till then, bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Andy:
Total score - 113
Raw score - 113
Total % of max - 92
Raw % of max - 92
Total average score per round - 7.5
Raw average score per round - 7.5
Number of maxes - 9
Ruth:
Total score - 36
Raw score - 86
Total % of max - 29
Raw % of max - 70
Total average score per round - 2.4
Raw average score per round - 5.7
Number of maxes - 3
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=72