C1: Champion David O'Donnell (God knows how many wins.)
C2: Champion James Hurrell (8 wins.)
DC: Susie Dent and Andrew Sachs.
RR: Some Oxford graduate called Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
It gives me huge pleasure to have the honour (etc etc) to write the first ever Stellified recap. I'm dead excited about it! I don't think there is a Countdown fan anywhere in the world (well, Britain anyway) that isn't.
The winner of this will go on to play either Steven Briers or Debbi Flack in the QF's on the 22nd.
R01: E O E S R S R R H
R02: I A A O N C N M N
R03: U E I N X S F T T
R04: E A E I L D P P S
R05: 100, 25, 75, 50, 10, 3. Target: 503.
TTT: NURACHEL - "It's all about starting again."
R06: E E E I L F T D B
R07: O E E N D K Z C S
R08: E U I O C T R M R
R09: A I E G W T P R Y
R10: 1, 10, 6, 9, 7, 3. Target: 690.
TTT: CLADSIGN - "Tell somebody off - they're in very hot water."
R11: A I U R L N R O T
R12: O A U O B V N D S
R13: E I O H D T S M L
R14: 75, 10, 5, 6, 1, 3. Target: 554.
R15: N I C E R O O T S (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Let the games...BEGIN!
Round 1: E O E S R S R R H
C1: reshoes
C2: ERRORS (6)
OT: HEROES (6) HORSES (6) HOSERS (6) SHORES (6) SHEERS (6)
Score: 0–6 (max 6)
An unfortunate start for DoD, with a reasonable-ish word disallowed. This round is the earliest example of poor letters distribution, which was kinda annoying.
Round 2: I A A O N C N M N
C1: MANIAC (6)
C2: MANIAC (6)
DC: MANIOC (6)
OT: CINNAMON (8)
Score: 6–12 (max 14)
Surprising miss there by everyone.
Round 3: U E I N X S F T T
C1: INFUSE (6)
C2: UNITES (6)
OT: UNFIXES (7)
UNFIX - to unfasten
Score: 12–18 (max 21)
Round 4: E A E I L D P P S
C1: SLAPPED (7)
C2: PLEASED (7)
DC: APPLIED (7)
OT: AEDILES (7) APPLIES (7) DAPPLES (7) ELAPSED (7) PALSIED (7) PLEIADS (7) SLIPPED (7) SPIELED (7)
Score: 19–25 (max 28)
AEDILE - a Roman magister
DAPPLE - to mark with spots
PALSY - to affect with paralysis
PLEIAD - an outstanding group of seven people or things
SPIEL - to recite
Andrew Sachs rambles on about...well...something to do with acting, I think.
Round 5: 100, 25, 75, 50, 10, 3. Target: 503.
C1: 503. 50x10+3 (10)
C2: 503. 50x10+3 (10)
Score: 29–35 (max 38)
A nice easy start for Rachel. (The contestants were not asked to declare their solutions, but I assume these are correct. Unless DoD comes along and says that he did 50x10/(100/(75+25))+3
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
Teatime teaser: NURACHEL -> RELAUNCH
Round 6: E E E I L F T D B
C1: BELIEF (6)
C2: EDIBLE (6)
DC: FLEETED (7)
OT: BEETLED (7)
Score: 35–41 (max 45)
BEETLE - to make one's way hurriedly
Round 7: O E E N D K Z C S
C1: SECOND (6)
C2: ENCODES (7)
DC: SNECKED (7)
OT: COZENED (7) DECOKES (7) DOCKENS (7) SECONDE (7)
Score: 35–48 (max 52)
COZEN - to trick
DECOKE - to remove carbon from
DOCKEN - another term for the plant dock
SECONDE - a parrying position in fencing
Round 8: E U I O C T R M R
C1: MORTICE (7)
C2: RECTUM (6) "When you see something like that, you can't see anything else!" Hurrell, 2009
DC: COURTIER (8)
OT: MORTICER (8) TURMERIC (8)
Score: 42–48 (max 60)
Round 9: A I E G W T P R Y
C1: WIRETAP (7)
C2: EARWIG (6)
Score: 49–48 (max 67)
A great spot by David here.
Round 10: 1, 10, 6, 9, 7, 3. Target: 690.
C1: 690. (9x7+6)x10 (10)
C2: 690. (9x7+6)x10 (10)
Score: 59–58 (max 77)
Teatime teaser: CLADSIGN -> SCALDING
Round 11: A I U R L N R O T
C1: RAINOUT (7)
C2: RAINOUT (7)
Score: 66–65 (max 84)
The classic.
Round 12: O A U O B V N D S
C1: ABOUNDS (7)
C2: ABOUNDS (7)
Score: 73–72 (max 91)
3 darrens in a row - probably reasonably rare.
Round 13: E I O H D T S M L
C1: ETHMOIDS (8)
C2: HOSTILE (7)
OT: DEMOLISH (8) HELOTISM (8) MELODIST (8)
Score: 81–72 (max 99)
David admits to using the Conor principle (not knowing what the word means).
Round 14: 75, 10, 5, 6, 1, 3. Target: 554.
C1: 554. (10-3+1)x(75-5)-6 (10)
C2: 554. (10-3)x75+(6x5)-1 (10)
Score: 91–82 (max 109)
Round 15: N I C E R O O T S
C2 buzzes on 0.4 seconds but his buzzer doesn't work.
C1 buzzes on 0.5 seconds to say CORTISONE which is correct.
Score: 101–82 (max 119)
An amazing conundrum spot by DoD rounds off a spectacular opening encounter. If this is anything to go by, CoC XIII will be one of the best ever. Bring it on!
Feel free to make your opinions known to everyone.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=59
C'ya later!