Countdown recap for Monday 21 March 2022.
C1: Champion Steve Hyde (7 wins, 685 points.) A product manager for a credit card company from Nottingham.
C2: Challenger Tom Grundy. An ex-banker from Hackney, Greater London.
DC: Susie Dent and Jon Culshaw.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: L D R A U A N G U
R02: S D C O E I S E A
R03: 75, 5, 7, 1, 3, 6. Target: 604.
TTT: WHEREDOG - "Where's the dog? It'll be sniffing around in here."
R04: T V P O O I R E D
R05: N S Y I E A B S T
R06: 75, 4, 1, 7, 9, 5. Target: 819.
R07: M S F I O A R L U
R08: W T P E E I N A O
R09: 7, 6, 3, 9, 8, 5. Target: 144.
TTT: PAMHANTS - "Pam maybe in Hampshire, but you'll find this in "ghoul"."
R10: S R C O E A T E A
R11: P T N E U A V R G
R12: L F T O E O S I G
R13: H R T M O E I R W
R14: 5, 4, 7, 3, 9, 1. Target: 239.
R15: S I Z E G E T I T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: L D R A U A N G U
Steve: ANGULAR (7)
Tom: GUARD (5)
DC: GRADUAL (7)
OT: ARUGULA (7) AUGURAL (7) GARLAND (7) UNGUARD (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)
Round 2: S D C O E I S E A
Steve: DIOCESES (8)
Tom: DIOCESES (8)
Score: 15–8 (max 15)
Round 3: 75, 5, 7, 1, 3, 6. Target: 604.
Steve: 604. ((7 + 1) x 75) + 6 - 5 + 3 (10)
Tom: 604. ((7 + 1) x 75) + 6 - (5 - 3) (10)
Score: 25–18 (max 25)
Teatime teaser: WHEREDOG -> HEDGEROW
Round 4: T V P O O I R E D
Steve: PROVIDE (7)
Tom: PIVOTED (7)
DC: OVERTIP (7)
OT: PIROOTED (8)
Score: 32–25 (max 33)
Round 5: N S Y I E A B S T
Steve: BASINETS (8)
Tom: STAINS (6)
DC: BASSINET (8)
Score: 40–25 (max 41)
Round 6: 75, 4, 1, 7, 9, 5. Target: 819.
Steve: 819. ((7 + 4) x 75) - 5 - 1 (10)
Tom: 816.
Score: 50–25 (max 51)
Jon talks about his love of Doctor Who.
Round 7: M S F I O A R L U
Steve: FAMOUS (6)
Tom: FLORAS (6)
DC: ORALISM (7) FORMULAS (8)
OT: AROLIUMS (8) SOLARIUM (8)
Score: 56–31 (max 59)
Round 8: W T P E E I N A O
Steve: WEAPON (6)
Tom: aponite
OT: PEINETA (7)
Score: 62–31 (max 66)
Round 9: 7, 6, 3, 9, 8, 5. Target: 144.
Steve: 144. (9 + 3) x (7 + 5) (10)
Tom: 144. (9 + 3) x (7 + 5) (10)
Score: 72–41 (max 76)
Teatime teaser: PAMHANTS -> PHANTASM
Round 10: S R C O E A T E A
Steve: CREATES (7)
Tom: CREATES (7)
DC: ROSEATE (7)
OT: ACATERS (7) ACEROSE (7) ACETOSE (7) AERATES (7) CASEATE (7) COASTER (7) COATEES (7) ECORATS (7) OCREATE (7) OCTERES (7) OSTRACA (7) RASCETA (7) RECOATS (7) ROSACEA (7)
Score: 79–48 (max 83)
Round 11: P T N E U A V R G
Steve: PUNTER (6)
Tom: prunage
DC: VAUNTER (7) UNGRAVE (7)
OT: GAUNTER (7) NEATRUP (7) PARVENU (7) TREPANG (7)
Score: 85–48 (max 90)
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "flatter" and "flattery".
Round 12: L F T O E O S I G
Steve: GOOFIEST (8)
Tom: EGOIST (6)
DC: OLOGIES (7)
Score: 93–48 (max 98)
Round 13: H R T M O E I R W
Steve: WORTHIER (8)
Tom: THROWER (7)
DC: WORMIER (7) MOTHIER (7) HERITOR (7)
Score: 101–48 (max 106)
Round 14: 5, 4, 7, 3, 9, 1. Target: 239.
Steve: 239. ((9 + 3) x 4 x 5) - 1 (10)
Tom: 239. (((9 x 7) - 3) x 4) - 1 (10)
Score: 111–58 (max 116)
Round 15: S I Z E G E T I T
Steve buzzes on 4 seconds to say ZEITGEIST which is correct.
Final Score: 121–58 (max 126)
Well, that's a brilliant octochamp securing performance from Steve, his highest score, only dropping 5 points, and definitely back on it, after a mediocre performance in yesterday's match.
His octototal of 806 puts him in the #2 seed position for now. Will he stay there, come the end of the series...
Statistics Corner
Steve:
Total score - 121
Raw score - 121
Total % of max - 96
Raw % of max - 96
Total average score per round - 8.1
Raw average score per round - 8.1
Number of maxes - 11
Tom:
Total score - 58
Raw score - 89
Total % of max - 46
Raw % of max - 71
Total average score per round - 3.9
Raw average score per round - 5.9
Number of maxes - 5
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=85
