So, before I feel the urge to clean my paws, let's get started.Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 24 June 2015.
C1: Champion Rhys Benjamin (3 wins, 251 points.) An Apteforumite and 6th Form student from Harrow, Greater London, and for his sins is a Fulham F.C. supporter (bloody lucky they were to do the double over us last season, I'll tell ya!!
).C2: Challenger Abby Foulkes. From Kingston-upon-Thames, Greater London, although she's originally from Liverpool. She's currently studying Business Management Studies at Kingston University. She also owns 3 cats called Beano, Monkey and Bear.
DC: Susie Dent and Colin Murray.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: M S C O A U R I O
R02: D L F E U W A R C
R03: 25, 100, 75, 50, 3, 5. Target: 692.
TTT: ITAMOUNT - "It amounts to a certain degree of change"
R04: P L N E I T E O Z
R05: T S M U A I P O M
R06: 100, 75, 9, 9, 1, 2. Target: 909.
R07: N D P A E U L I Q
R08: N D R A U L E P T
R09: 50, 25, 100, 75, 8, 1. Target: 277.
TTT: HERPLANS - "It amounts to a certain degree of change"
R10: R D S A O I T R O
R11: B T J E A O N S V
R12: G T G E U I H T I
R13: L S V A E I R A E
R14: 50, 100, 7, 2, 4, 6. Target: 908.
R15: B L E A K R A J I (conundrum)
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Round 1: M S C O A U R I O
Rhys: ROAMS (5)
Abby: CRAMS (5)
DC: CARIOUS (7) AMOROUS (7)
OT: CURIOSA (7)
Score: 5–5 (max 7)
CARIOUS is spotted by DC after being missed yesterday, but both contestants only have 5's here. (Incidentally, did anyone else think that Abby said crums? (which should've been disallowed in that case.........
))CURIOSA is curiosities, especially erotic or pornographic books or articles.
Round 2: D L F E U W A R C
Rhys: FLARED (6)
Abby: CRAWLED (7)
DC: CAREFUL (7) CARFUL (6)
Score: 5–12 (max 14)
Abby has CRAWLED herself into an early lead here, while DC are a bit more CAREFUL with their 7.....
Round 3: 25, 100, 75, 50, 3, 5. Target: 692.
Rhys: 690. ((100 + 25 + 3) x 5) + 50 (7)
Abby: -
RR: 693. (7)
OT: 693. ((50 - (100 / 25)) x (75 / 5)) + 3 (7)
Score: 12–12 (max 21)
Rhys sticks to his 4 large principles, and it does let him level, but this one is impossible even for our Rach.
Teatime teaser: ITAMOUNT -> MUTATION
Round 4: P L N E I T E O Z
Rhys: plint
Abby: POLITE (6)
DC: PENILE (6)
OT: PETIOLE (7) POETIZE (7) ZEOLITE (7)
Score: 12–18 (max 28)
Not sure what Rhys was thinking of here, but Abby regains the lead with her POLITE offering.
In botany, a PETIOLE is the stalk that joins a leaf to a stem.
A ZEOLITE is any of a large group of minerals consisting of hydrated aluminosilicates of sodium, potassium, calcium, and barium.
Round 5: T S M U A I P O M
Rhys: STAMP (5)
Abby: STAMP (5)
DC: OPTIMUM (7) OPTIMA (6) OPTIMUMS (8)
OT: POMATUMS (8)
Score: 17–23 (max 36)
Both players put their STAMP on this round, but DC get the OPTIMUM (or should it be OPTIMUMS) answer here.
A POMATUM is an old-fashioned term for pomade.
Round 6: 100, 75, 9, 9, 1, 2. Target: 909.
Rhys: 909. (100 + 1) x 9 (10)
Abby: 909. (100 x 9) + 9 (10)
Score: 27–33 (max 46)
NEXT
Colin talks about the story of Jesse Owens and Luz Long in the 1936 Olympics, which were in Berlin, and not Munich, as he suggested.....
Round 7: N D P A E U L I Q
Rhys: pailed
Abby: NAILED (6)
DC: PAINED (6) QUAILED (7) PALED (5)
OT: PLAINED (7) UNIDEAL (7)
Score: 27–39 (max 53)
Rhyming words, but not matching points, as Rhys' pailed is disallowed by DC, which is a bit UNIDEAL for him.
Round 8: N D R A U L E P T
Rhys: LAUNDER (7)
Abby: PLEAT (5)
DC: PENDULAR (8)
Score: 34–39 (max 61)
But not to be deterred, Rhys comes back in straight away to LAUNDER a 7, while DC go darrenic with their 8.
Round 9: 50, 25, 100, 75, 8, 1. Target: 277.
Rhys: 277. (25 x 8) + 75 + (100 / 50) (10)
Abby: 277. (25 x 8) + 75 + (100 / 50) (10)
Score: 44–49 (max 71)
4 large again, and this time it's 10 points apiece from the 4 large.
Teatime teaser: HERPLANS -> SHRAPNEL
Round 10: R D S A O I T R O
Rhys: RADIOS (6)
Abby: stairs
DC: ASTROID (7)
OT: DASTOOR (7) ORATORS (7) STRIDOR (7) TOROIDS (7)
Score: 50–49 (max 78)
Rhys takes the lead for the first time today, as Abby uses a phantom 2nd S for her stairs.....
A STRIDOR is a harsh or grating sound.
Round 11: B T J E A O N S V
Rhys: NOVATES (7)
Abby: BOAST (5)
OT: BANJOES (7)
Score: 57–49 (max 85)
A Countdown classic from Rhys and now he's starting to gain a healthier lead......
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "flamenco", and how it might have an Ian Fleming connection.
Round 12: G T G E U I H T I
Rhys: THUG (4)
Abby: HIT (3)
DC: EIGHT (5) TIGHT (5) tiggie
OT: GIGUE (5) TITHE (5)
Score: 61–49 (max 90)
Oh dear, oh dear, I'm sure both players will want to erase this round from their memories. Although, Colin can at least be proud of getting EIGHT.
Round 13: L S V A E I R A E
Rhys: REALISE (7)
Abby: SILVER (6)
DC: SEVERAL (7) LEVERS (6) VELARISE (8)
Score: 68–49 (max 98)
That's now 4 rounds in a row for Rhys, and he's just millimetres away from the promised land of half-octochampdom.
Round 14: 50, 100, 7, 2, 4, 6. Target: 908.
Rhys: 908. ((100 + 50) x 6) + (4 x 2) (10)
Abby: 906.
Score: 78–49 (max 108)
Well, even though Abby didn't get it anyway, Rhys seals the deal with another perfect solve.
Round 15: B L E A K R A J I
Rhys buzzes on 26.25 seconds to say JAILBAKER which is incorrect.
Abby buzzes on 29.25 seconds to say JAILBREAK which is correct.
Final Score: 78–59 (max 118)
Tut, tut, tut........., not something that Rhys will want to remember in a hurry, as he gets the conundrum half right and half very wrong...., which lets Abby steal it with literally less than a second to spare.......
Still, Rhys has reached half-octochampdom, and even though he has shown signs of brilliance, I'm sure he'll feel that his inconsistency is stopping reaching much higher scores. Can he reach octochampdom on Tuesday
Join Tracey tomorrow to see if he can take the next step.I'll be back next Wednesday, when Rhys will have been and gone whatever may be.
But, on Saturday, me and Jeff Clayton will be down in St. Albans hosting the 2nd Countdown in St. Albans tournament, which I hope will be as brilliant as last year's tournament. If you're coming there, I look forward to seeing you.
If not, join me for my next recap at the start of the second half of 2015.
Till then, bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Rhys:
Total score - 78
Raw score - 84
Total % of max - 66
Raw % of max - 71
Total average score per round - 5.2
Raw average score per round - 5.6
Number of maxes - 5
Abby:
Total score - 59
Raw score - 85
Total % of max - 50
Raw % of max - 72
Total average score per round - 3.9
Raw average score per round - 5.7
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=73
