Friday 29th May 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 81)

[Phil Reynolds]

Countdown recap for Friday 29 May 2009.

Jeff kicks off the show with a limerick sent in by Janice Scott-Lodge of Cromarty, which makes up for a naff rhyme in line 2 by heroically employing both enjambment and caesura:

Dear Susie and Rachel and Jeff:
As an oldie, I'd be quite bereft
Without Countdown; but, folks,
When it comes to Jeff's jokes,
I'm awfully glad that I'm deaf.


C1: Champion James Doohan (5 wins, 416 points), now with a secure place in the quarter finals. James's favourite place is anywhere he can go skiiing.
C2: Challenger Margaret Oliver, from Aspley in Nottinghamshire. Margaret's hobbies are reading, knitting, sewing and travelling to unusual places - her favourite so far being a trip to Antarctica to see the penguins. Her sister is Mabel Weston who won last Thursday's show and then was defeated by James in his first appearance a week ago today.
DC: Susie Dent and Barry Cryer.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.


R01: P D M E E I K S E
R02: F T M A O A N A M
R03: R P N I E I N S E
R04: L S T I A O Z S U
R05: 100, 9, 6, 3, 5, 9. Target: 380.
TTT: RAPTANGO - "It's a colourful character when going to court"
R06: T D S T E O U S E
R07: N C D A I E L D R
R08: I E X T D I N T R
R09: N H C A O E R G B
R10: 25, 4, 1, 2, 1, 10. Target: 981.
TTT: COYREAMS - "I've had enough of Roger, said the tree"
R11: H R W I E O R Q S
R12: S P N Y E E E L I
R13: F T T A E L G C O
R14: 100, 8, 10, 1, 6, 9. Target: 988.
R15: D I N G O Z I X I (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: P D M E E I K S E

C1: SPIKED (6)
C2: PEEKED (6)
DC: IMPEDES (7) SKIMPED (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)

Round 2: F T M A O A N A M

C1: MOAN (4)
C2: MOAN (4)
DC: MOAT MANTA (5)
OT: ATAMAN (6)
Score: 10–10 (max 13)

A MANTA is a species of ray; an ATAMAN is a Cossack leader.

Round 3: R P N I E I N S E

C1: SPINNER (7)
C2: SNIPER (6)
DC: REPINES (7) INSPIRE (7) PINNIES (7) PENNIES (7)
OT: PINERIES (8)
Score: 17–10 (max 21)

To REPINE is to be low-spirited; PINERIES are pine forests and also places where pineapples are grown.

Round 4: L S T I A O Z S U

C1: TAILS (5)
C2: TAILS (5)
DC: SOULS (5) OUTSAILS (8)
Score: 22–15 (max 29)

Both contestants miss a classic Countdown 8.

Round 5: 100, 9, 6, 3, 5, 9. Target: 380.

C1: 380. 3 x 100 + 9 x 9 - 6 + 5 (10)
C2: 380. Mistake in working.
Score: 32–15 (max 39)

Barry tells an amusing (if distinctly apocryphal) anecdote about an old-time variety turn called The Great Del Monte And His Tap Dancing Duck, who sounds like he would have gone down a storm on Britain's Got Talent.

Teatime teaser: RAPTANGO -> TRAGOPAN

A TRAGOPAN is an Asian pheasant, the male of which has brightly coloured plumage used in courtship.

Round 6: T D S T E O U S E

C1: DETESTS (7)
C2: TOUTED (6)
DC: TSETSE (6)
OT: TESTUDOS (8)
Score: 39–15 (max 47)

TESTUDOS were a form of shelter used by the ancient Roman army.

Round 7: N C D A I E L D R

C1: CANDLED (7)
C2: RIDDLE (6)
DC: CANDLER (7) RIDDANCE (8)
Score: 46–15 (max 55)

CANDLE as a verb means to test an egg for fertility by holding it to the light.

Round 8: I E X T D I N T R

C1: TINTED (6)
C2: TRIDENT (7)
DC: DEXTRIN (7)
OT: EDITRIX (7) NITRIDE (7) NITRITE (7)
Score: 46–22 (max 62)

DEXTRIN is a substance used as a thickening agent; an EDITRIX is a female editor.

Round 9: N H C A O E R G B

C1: CHARGE (6)
C2: CHARGE (6)
DC: BACONER (7)
OT: CHANGER (7)
Score: 52–28 (max 69)

A BACONER is a pig bred for bacon.

OoW: Susie discusses the origin of the word SYCOPHANT.

Round 10: 25, 4, 1, 2, 1, 10. Target: 981.

C1: 981. (4 x 25 - 2) x 10 + 1 (10)
C2: 981. As C1 (10)
Score: 62–38 (max 79)

Teatime teaser: COYREAMS -> SYCAMORE

A knowing scramble from Damian there, I do believe.

Round 11: H R W I E O R Q S

C1: WORRIES (7)
C2: ROWERS (6)
DC: SHOWIER (7) HORSIER (7)
Score: 69–38 (max 86)

Round 12: S P N Y E E E L I

C1: SPLEEN (6)
C2: SLEEPY (6)
DC: PENSILE (7)
OT: EYELINES (8)
Score: 75–44 (max 94)

PENSILE means hanging down, as Susie explains with accompanying hand gestures (and a few sniggers from the audience).

Round 13: F T T A E L G C O

C1: LOCATE (6)
C2: CATTLE (6)
DC: GELCOAT (7)
OT: COTTAGE (7)
Score: 81–50 (max 101)

A GELCOAT is a resinous coating, as on fibreglass.

Round 14: 100, 8, 10, 1, 6, 9. Target: 988.

C1: 988. (100 + 10) x 9 - 8 + 6 (10)
C2: 988. 100 x 10 - (9 - 8 + 1) x 6 (10)
Score: 91–60 (max 111)

Round 15: D I N G O Z I X I

C1 buzzes on 4 seconds to say OXIDIZING which is correct.
Score: 101–60 (max 121)

And so, with his first century, James secures a sixth victory and consolidates his number 6 position in the seedings.

Recap brought to you by Dave Bukatinsky.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=60

[Jon O'Neill]

What happened to putting in less effort this time?

Enjoyed it a lot. KUTGW!

[Phil Reynolds]

What happened to putting in less effort this time?

It certainly took less time than Thursday's recap, mainly because I didn't bother trying to comment on the contestants' performance in each round and just stuck to giving definitions of the obscurer words. In any event, knowing that you liked it makes me go tingly in my giblets.

[Derek Hazell]

Recap brought to you by Dave Bukatinsky.

Ah, I wondered who it was playing Fay Ripley's husband in the new Tesco adverts . . . now we know it's our own Phil Reynolds!

[Phil Reynolds]

Recap brought to you by Dave Bukatinsky.

Ah, I wondered who it was playing Fay Ripley's husband in the new Tesco adverts . . . now we know it's our own Phil Reynolds!

You're gonna have to explain that one to me I'm afraid.

[Derek Hazell]

Recap brought to you by Dave Bukatinsky.

Ah, I wondered who it was playing Fay Ripley's husband in the new Tesco adverts . . . now we know it's our own Phil Reynolds!

You're gonna have to explain that one to me I'm afraid.

Okay, but it kind of ruins things when they're explained. Especially things which are pretty weak in the first place
There is a new series of TV adverts for Tesco, which feature Fay Ripley and her "husband" in a hot air balloon etc. When I first saw them, I wondered who the guy playing her husband was. Then I saw your pseudonym, and it seemed to be the character played by Mark Addy in The Full Monty. I also now believe the guy in the Tesco adverts to be said Mark Addy.

[Phil Reynolds]

Ah, I wondered who it was playing Fay Ripley's husband in the new Tesco adverts . . . now we know it's our own Phil Reynolds!

You're gonna have to explain that one to me I'm afraid.

There is a new series of TV adverts for Tesco, which feature Fay Ripley and her "husband" in a hot air balloon etc. When I first saw them, I wondered who the guy playing her husband was. Then I saw your pseudonym, and it seemed to be the character played by Mark Addy in The Full Monty. I also now believe the guy in the Tesco adverts to be said Mark Addy.

Oh, blimey, right... I see now. That's actually rather smart as I didn't expect anyone to recognise the allusion. An impromptu VFSMB to you.