Countdown recap for Friday 20 December 2019.
C1: #1 Seed James "The Manchester Marvel" Haughton (10 games, 10 wins, 1,218 points.) An Apterite and applied maths PhD student at the University of Manchester. He reached the final by beating #4 seed Morgan Sauer 113-79 in his semi-final on Wednesday.
C2: #2 Seed Jamie "The Godalming Gunslinger" Wing (10 games, 10 wins, 1,111 (1,121) points.) A 6th Form student from Godalming, Surrey. He reached the semi-finals by beating #3 seed Paul Nixon 91-77 in his semi-final yesterday.
DC: Susie Dent and Tim Vine.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: G N D T I A U S O
R02: M V R E I O T A S
R03: 50, 100, 25, 75, 10, 7. Target: 319.
TTT: STILLNEED - "All the decorations are up, but I still need to make sure this is done to the tree."
R04: D H I E A Q R O G
R05: R M V P E I E U N
R06: 1, 8, 7, 10, 9, 8. Target: 214.
R07: T B C R A I A E T
R08: U E C D F O E S L
R09: 25, 100, 50, 75, 8, 7. Target: 684.
TTT: DREWPAPER - "Drew's first attempt looked terrible, so he got some more paper and started again."
R10: O S R U J C N I S
R11: W S N S A O E L O
R12: F P U I O R D S E
R13: T T S L I A O A I
R14: 100, 1, 7, 4, 3, 2. Target: 200.
R15: T R E A T R A S H (conundrum)
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Round 1: G N D T I A U S O
James: ADUSTION (8)
Jamie: OUTGAINS (8)
DC: DUSTING (7)
OT: AUTOINGS (8) GUSTNADO (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)
A great start by both with 8's including an 8 got earlier this week.
AUTOING is the action or practice of using an automobile, or in simple terms, driving.
A GUSTNADO is a strong whirlwind at the leading edge of a storm front or squall line.
Round 2: M V R E I O T A S
James: AMORTISE (8)
Jamie: AMORTISE (8)
DC: ATOMISER (8) OVERMAST (8)
OT: REVOMITS (8) VOMITERS (8) VOTARIES (8)
Score: 16–16 (max 16)
More 8's give us a flat, but high scoring start to this final.
Round 3: 50, 100, 25, 75, 10, 7. Target: 319.
James: 319. (((100 + 7) x 75) - 50) / 25 (10)
Jamie: 320.
Score: 26–16 (max 26)
And James has the first break thanks to a superbly worked out 4 large.
Teatime teaser: STILLNEED -> TINSELLED
Round 4: D H I E A Q R O G
James: HOAGIE (6)
Jamie: HOAGIE (6)
DC: GHERAO (6)
OT: ADREIGH (7) HEADRIG (7)
Score: 32–22 (max 33)
No max game in the final, but those 7's are certainly on the unusual scale...
ADREIGH is a Scottish adverb meaning at or to a distance; away, off.
A HEADRIG is a British dialect term for a strip of land at the end of a ploughed field which is left unploughed until after the main ploughing is complete, for convenience in turning the plough.
Round 5: R M V P E I E U N
James: PERINEUM (8)
Jamie: UMPIRE (6)
DC: PUN (3) VERMIN (6) UNPRIME (7)
Score: 40–22 (max 41)
And that's another great 8 from James to pull further ahead.
Round 6: 1, 8, 7, 10, 9, 8. Target: 214.
James: 215. ((10 - 7) x 9 x 8) - 1 (7)
Jamie: 216.
RR: 214. ((9 + 7 - 1) x 10) + (8 x 8) (10)
Score: 47–22 (max 51)
Jamie's 6 small gamble doesn't pay off, as James pulls further clear thanks to this tricky offering.
Tim does some jovial Christmas one-liners.
Round 7: T B C R A I A E T
James: CATTIER (7)
Jamie: BATTIER (7)
DC: BACTERIA (8) CABARET (7)
OT: BRATTICE (8)
Score: 54–29 (max 59)
Trying to be CATTIER and BATTIER than other will probably avoid BACTERIA, which isn't good in this game...
A BRATTICE is a partition or shaft lining in a coal mine, typically made of wood or heavy cloth.
Round 8: U E C D F O E S L
James: FOCUSED (7)
Jamie: DELOUSE (7)
DC: DEFOCUS (7)
OT: COULEES (7) ECLOSED (7) SECLUDE (7) SEEDFUL (7) SELFODE (7)
Score: 61–36 (max 66)
Loads of 7's here keeping James' healthy lead intact.
A COULEE is either a short flow of viscous lava or a North American term for a deep ravine.
Under the feudal system, a SELFODE is a type of low-ranking tenant.
Round 9: 25, 100, 50, 75, 8, 7. Target: 684.
James: 684. (100 x 7) - ((50 / 25) x 8) (10)
Jamie: 684. (100 x 7) - ((50 / 25) x 8) (10)
Score: 71–46 (max 76)
And this 4 large was simple enough for both our finalists.
Teatime teaser: DREWPAPER -> REWRAPPED
Round 10: O S R U J C N I S
James: JUNIORS (7)
Jamie: JUNIORS (7)
DC: COUSINS (7)
OT: ONISCUS (7) OURSINS (7) ROUSSIN (7) UNCROSS (7)
Score: 78–53 (max 83)
Definitely a family affair with JUNIORS and COUSINS available.
ONISCUS is a crustacean of the genus Oniscus, a terrestrial isopod crustaceans of the suborder Oniscoidea, a woodlouse (obsolete).
An OURSIN is a sea urchin, especially an edible one.
A ROUSSIN (or ROUNCY) is a horse, especially one used for riding.
Round 11: W S N S A O E L O
James: LOOSENS (7)
Jamie: LOOSENS (7)
DC: LOWNESS (7) SALOONS (7)
OT: SONLAWS (7)
Score: 85–60 (max 90)
More 7's on the menu, as Jamie is running out of time to try and win the final....
A SONLAW is a rare term for a son-in-law.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of some Christmas words.
Round 12: F P U I O R D S E
James: PERIODUS (8)
Jamie: PERIODUS (8)
OT: PROFUSED (8)
Score: 93–68 (max 98)
Jamie thinks he might have a way back in, but James shuts that door shut by matching his impressive 8.
Round 13: T T S L I A O A I
James: SOLATIA (7)
Jamie: SOLATIA (7)
OT: ALTOIST (7) SALOTTI (7)
Score: 100–75 (max 105)
AND THAT'S GAME, SHOT AND MATCH FOR JAMES HAUGHTON!!!
Especially in Italy, a SALOTTO (plural SALOTTI) is a reception room.
Round 14: 100, 1, 7, 4, 3, 2. Target: 200.
James: 200. (100 / 4) x ((7 / 1) + 3 - 2) (10)
Jamie: 200. ((7 - 4) / 3) x 1 x 2 x 100 (10)
Score: 110–85 (max 115)
Well, at least we have 2 brilliant players to make a 200 look that tad bit trickier...
Round 15: T R E A T R A S H
Jamie buzzes on 12.5 seconds to say EARTHSTAR which is correct.
Final Score: 110–95 (max 125)
And the final word goes to Jamie, who gets the tricky conundrum to give the scoreline a bit more respectability.
But, the worthy series champion of Series 81 is James Haughton, whose record is simply extraordinary, especially considering that the 110 he scored today was actually the 2nd lowest of his 11 scores throughout the series
His total of 1,328 points over his 11 games is also the second-highest xicount (11-time winner (8 heats, plus QF, SF and GF)) in the show's history, and only THREE points behind the record set by Zarte Siempre!!!
And so, Countdown is over for another decade, but it'll be back in 13 days time on January 2nd, when we'll see the conclusion of Luke Johnson-Davies' run..., which will hopefully be another 3 episodes.
So, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year/Decade
Statistics Corner
James:
Total score - 110
Raw score - 110
Total % of max - 88
Raw % of max - 88
Total average score per round - 7.3
Raw average score per round - 7.3
Number of maxes - 11
Jamie:
Total score - 95
Raw score - 115
Total % of max - 76
Raw % of max - 92
Total average score per round - 6.3
Raw average score per round - 7.7
Number of maxes - 10
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=81