Let's find out.Countdown recap for Thursday 10 December 2009.
C1: No.1 Seed Andrew Hulme (8 wins, 930 points. (The current all-time record!)) He is a student at Warwick University. He says his favourite moment was getting the 9-letter word POLICEMEN in the first round of his first show. (Well, he says first show) Since winning his 8 games in July, he has played professional poker and hopefully brushing up on his Countdown skills.
C2: No.8 Seed Jacqueline "Jackie" or even "Jaqueline" Baker (5 wins, 510 points.) From Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. Since losing to Nilesh Patel in June, she has been to Ibiza twice, seen Take That twice, studied for 2 exams and has got 2 jobs
Clearly seeing double. As mentioned in the spoilers, Jackie is the only female in the finals, so she is hoping to be the first female series champion since Kate Ogilivie back in 1999. 
DC: Susie Dent and Dr. Phil Hammond.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S R W E U E Y R M
R02: D S D S O I E O L
R03: G T N A E O D M U
R04: T S D R E O I C O
R05: 100, 3, 1, 4, 1, 5. Target: 429.
TTT: OLDROMAN - "Uncultivated areas belonging to Roger, perhaps?"
R06: L K T M I U A N E
R07: D R S I A E B S T
R08: F T R A E I N R E
R09: J R L T O E A N X
R10: 50, 9, 2, 8, 7, 4. Target: 814.
TTT: SINGCHAT - "A critical type of attack on those who definitely can't sing"
R11: D W H O E E P N Z
R12: G L N T A I U G I
R13: S N L E A E Y N R
R14: 100, 75, 25, 50, 2, 3. Target: 236.
R15: M I L K G R A I N (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: S R W E U E Y R M
C1: RESUME (6)
C2: RESUME (6)
OT: MURRES (6) MURREY (6) SURREY (6)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)
A nice flat start for all in this first quarter-final.
MURREY is a dark purplish-red colour.
Round 2: D S D S O I E O L
C1: DOODLES (7)
C2: SOILED (6)
OT: DILDOES (7)
Score: 13–6 (max 13)
Andrew takes the lead, while Dr. Phil says that DC can't mention the 7 they've got, because it's too rude for TV broadcast, but since DILDOES is the only other 7 there, it must be that one.
Round 3: G T N A E O D M U
C1: AMOUNTED (8)
C2: MOUNTED (7)
Score: 21–6 (max 21)
Andrew continues his perfect start as Jackie misses putting the A in front of her word.
Round 4: T S D R E O I C O
C1: cordites
C2: STEROID (7)
DC: COOTIES (7)
OT: COOTERS (7) SCOOTER (7) CORDITE (7) COTISED (7) CREDITS (7) DIRECTS (7) DOCTORS (7) EDITORS (7) SORTIED (7) STORIED (7) TRIODES (7) OCTROIS (7) ODORISE (7) OSTEOID (7) ROOSTED (7) SCOOTED (7) SOOTIER (7) TOROIDS (7)
Score: 21–13 (max 28)
The max game ends as Andrew's risky 8 is just that.
OSTEOID is something resmbling a bone.
A TRIODE is a vacuum tube containing 3 elements, normally an anode, cathode and a control grid.
Round 5: 100, 3, 1, 4, 1, 5. Target: 429.
C1: 428. (100 + 1 + 1 + 5) x 4 (7)
C2: 428. ((100 + 5 + 1) x 4) + 3 + 1 (7)
RR: 429. ((100 + 5 + 3 - 1) x 4) + 1 (10)
Score: 28–20 (max 38)
Dr. Phil talks of amongst other things, the Golden Poo Awards, washing hands, the Tory & Labour Party Conferences, seeing a man using a toilet on a train and of course Dr. Phil's book, Sex, Sleep Or Scrabble?.
Teatime teaser: OLDROMAN -> MOORLAND
Round 6: L K T M I U A N E
C1: MANLIKE (7)
C2: MANTLE (6)
DC: AILMENT (7)
OT: ALIMENT (7) UNALIKE (7)
Score: 35–20 (max 45)
Round 7: D R S I A E B S T
C1: DISASTER (8)
C2: BRAISED (7)
DC: SIDEBARS (8) SEABIRDS (8)
OT: BASTIDES (8) DISRATES (8) TRIBADES (8)
Score: 43–20 (max 53)
Andrew roars further ahead with a MANLIKE DISASTER.
To DISRATE something is to reduce to a lower rating or rank.
Round 8: F T R A E I N R E
C1: REFRAIN (7)
C2: RETAINER (8)
Score: 43–28 (max 61)
Is there a comeback on
Jackie finds the darrenic 8 to peg the lead back to 15 points.Round 9: J R L T O E A N X
C1: ORNATE (6)
C2: jolter
DC: LOANER (6)
OT: ANTLER (6) LEARNT (6) RENTAL (6) ETALON (6)
Score: 49–28 (max 67)
But, her risky 6 puts her right back in another sticky situation.
Carrying on with this week's place name theme, Susie's Origin Of Words talks about the origins of Manchester, Lancaster, Lancashire, Rachel's Southend, Prittlewell, Rochford, Marlborough, Netherfield, Puddletown and Soho.
Round 10: 50, 9, 2, 8, 7, 4. Target: 814.
C1: 814. ((8 x 50) + 7) x 2 (10)
C2: 813.
Score: 59–28 (max 77)
Teatime teaser: SINGCHAT -> SCATHING
Round 11: D W H O E E P N Z
C1: OPENED (6)
C2: nephew (declared as 7)
DC: NEPHEW (6) PHONED (6)
Score: 65–28 (max 83)
Jackie's chances of winning shrink further after misdeclaring NEPHEW as a 7.
Round 12: G L N T A I U G I
C1: TAILING (7)
C2: TAILING (7)
DC: LIGATING (8)
OT: GUILTING (8)
Score: 72–35 (max 91)
Andrew is just 1 point away from booking his place in the semis with that 7.
Round 13: S N L E A E Y N R
C1: ENSNARL (7)
C2: ENSNARE (7)
OT: LANNERS (7) LARNEYS (7)
Score: 79–42 (max 98)
A flat round not only gives Andrew the game, but it means that Andrew will finish below 100 today, making it his lowest score ever in 15-round Countdown.
Round 14: 100, 75, 25, 50, 2, 3. Target: 236.
C1: 237. ((50 / 25) + 2 + 75) x 3 (7)
C2: 228.
RR: 236. (75 + 50 - ((100 / 25) + 3)) x 2 (10)
Score: 86–42 (max 108)
Round 15: M I L K G R A I N
No one buzzes. The answer was GRIMALKIN.
Score: 86–42 (max 118)
If GRIMALKIN is a quarter-final conundrum, it makes you wonder what the conundrum for the final will be
Anyway, Andrew wins to set up a semi-final against No.4 seed Ryan Taylor or No.5 seed Brian Selway. That semi-final will also be my next recap.
So, next week, the Robinson Recap Double Bill will be a Semi-Final Special.
Tomorrow, No.2 seed Chris Davies takes on No.7 seed Steve Wood for a semi-final match-up with either Innis Carson or Jeffrey Burgin.
Till next week, so long.
Statistics Corner
Andrew:
Total score - 86
Raw score - 93
Total % of max - 73
Raw % of max - 79
Total average score per round - 5.7
Raw average score per round - 6.2
Number of maxes - 9
Jacqueline:
Total score - 42
Raw score - 80
Total % of max - 36
Raw % of max - 68
Total average score per round - 2.8
Raw average score per round - 5.3
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61
