Countdown recap for Wednesday 5 May 2010.
C1: Champion Lee Graham (3 wins, 244 points.) From Highgate, London. He works as a magazine and book editor. His greatest talent is touching his bottom lip with his nose, which he ably demonstrates on the show.
C2: Challenger Steve Lock. From Newmarket, Suffolk. He works as a family support practitioner for a children's hospice. His favourite pastime is English billiards, which is the 3 ball version, for those of you who don't know. He plays locally and has raised funds to play internationally, although mainly in Europe. He did once beat the world champion from India, although he admits to beating him with a handicap.
DC: Susie Dent and Kate Humble.
RR: Rachel Riley, whose voice seems to be getting worse today (More on that later
).OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S S T Y E D U I R
R02: T G D I E O S I T
R03: D X S O E O E N P
R04: S F H U E I E T N
R05: 25, 4, 5, 2, 7, 9. Target: 363.
TTT: DEARGILL - "Dear Gill, I've made a French stew for you. Can you guess its name?"
R06: I A T C P E N P I
R07: L G M R O A O R A
R08: V G D H I O I A B
R09: O O I A S C J N I
R10: 100, 7, 10, 6, 2, 6. Target: 441.
TTT: HELDNICE - "It's thought similar to a wall covered in crusty moss"
R11: A E U L V N C W K
R12: R O E T N S A E T
R13: I U E M N D L W E
R14: 100, 7, 5, 10, 2, 6. Target: 971.
R15: M A N L Y L I O N (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: S S T Y E D U I R
C1: DUSTIER (7)
C2: studier
DC: STUDIES (7)
OT: DRYSUITS (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)
A bad start by Steve, as you can only be a STUDENT, not a studier, but the darrenic 8 is missed by all.
Round 2: T G D I E O S I T
C1: DIGEST (6)
C2: SITED (5)
DC: DITTIES (7) EGOTIST (7)
OT: TIDIEST (7)
Score: 13–0 (max 15)
Round 3: D X S O E O E N P
C1: EXPOSED (7)
C2: EXPOSED (7)
DC: SNOOPED (7) SPOONED (7)
OT: EXOPODS (7) EXPENDS (7) SPONDEE (7)
Score: 20–7 (max 22)
Our challeneger gets off the mark picking the 7 that we almost had in round 12 yesterday.
Round 4: S F H U E I E T N
C1: ENTHUSE (7)
C2: FETISH (6)
OT: FISHNET (7)
Score: 27–7 (max 29)
Round 5: 25, 4, 5, 2, 7, 9. Target: 363.
C1: 359.
C2: 363. (7 x 2 x 25) + 9 + 4 (10)
Score: 27–17 (max 39)
Steve gets back in with that nice solve, shrinking the gap to 10.
Kate talks about her time doing an underwater programme about cod in Scotland.
Teatime teaser: DEARGILL -> GRILLADE
Round 6: I A T C P E N P I
C1: CATNIP (6)
C2: PAINT (5)
OT: PICANTE (7)
Score: 33–17 (max 46)
PICANTE means any food that is very hot and spicy.
Round 7: L G M R O A O R A
C1: AMORAL (6)
C2: MORAL (5)
DC: GROOM (5) GLOOM (5) AROMA (5)
Score: 39–17 (max 52)
Ouch, Steve will be kicking himself for missing that darren.
Round 8: V G D H I O I A B
C1: AVOID (5)
C2: GOAD (4)
DC: DHOBI (5)
OT: IDIGBO (6)
Score: 44–17 (max 58)
Another dreadful set of letters which Lee managed to AVOID nicely.
Round 9: O O I A S C J N I
C1: JOINS (5)
C2: SCAN (4)
DC: CASINO (6)
Score: 49–17 (max 64)
As Lee puts it, "Where are the E's?"
But, he gets the points, as Steve is stuck on 4 again, but DC do find the more recognisable darren.Susie's Origin Of Words tells of the origins of the words "palm", "palm tree" and "coconut".
Round 10: 100, 7, 10, 6, 2, 6. Target: 441.
C1: 442. ((100 + 7 + 6) x (6 - 2)) - 10 (7)
C2: 442. ((6 - 2) x 100) + (6 x 7) (7)
RR: 441. ((100 + 10) x (6 - 2)) + 7 - 6 (10)
Score: 56–24 (max 74)
A very funny round in which Rachel's croaky voice gets mocked by Jeff and unintentionally mocked by Lee, but both contestants score 7 and Rachel solves it.
Teatime teaser: HELDNICE -> LICHENED
Round 11: A E U L V N C W K
C1: UNCLE (5)
C2: LUCK (4)
DC: VALUE (5) LANCE (5) vulcan UNLACE (6)
OT: KNAWEL (6) LAUNCE (6)
Score: 61–24 (max 80)
At least an E appears, but Steve declares 4 for the 3rd letters round running, and for the 3rd letters round running, Lee's 5 gets the points. Any Trekkies out there will be disappointed to learn that Vulcan hasn't yet made the dictionary, or at least not in a form that would satisfy the rules of Countdown.
A KNAWEL is a low-growing, weedy Eurasian annual (Scleranthus annuus) having narrow leaves and inconspicuous green flowers.
A LAUNCE (or SAND LANCE) is any slender marine fish of the family Ammodytidae that burrows into the sand.
Round 12: R O E T N S A E T
C1: RESONATE (8)
C2: TONERS (6)
DC: ENTREATS (8)
Score: 69–24 (max 88)
Steve declares more than 4, but the first available 8 since round 1 goes to Lee, which gives him the game too.
Round 13: I U E M N D L W E
C1: WINED (5)
C2: -
DC: MEWLED (6)
OT: DEMILUNE (8)
Score: 74–24 (max 96)
It's just not Steve's day today. He fails to declare anything here, meaning that he's only scored 7 points in the 11 letters round today.
A DEMILUNE is another name for a crescent.
Round 14: 100, 7, 5, 10, 2, 6. Target: 971.
C1: 971. (100 x 10) - (7 x 5) + 6 (10)
C2: 970.
Score: 84–24 (max 106)
Not even the numbers can soften Steve today.
Round 15: M A N L Y L I O N
C1 buzzes on 3 seconds to say NOMINALLY which is correct.
Score: 94–24 (max 116)
Lee ends it all with that nice solve, which also brings up his half-octochamp status too. Lee is definitely one of the most likable people in this series and definitely has a good chance of being an octochamp on Tuesday.
But will get past his next challenger tomorrow
Join me on election day tomorrow, so till then, don't forget to vote tomorrow, and bye.
(Bold names - Copyright R. Taylor 2010)
Statistics Corner
Lee:
Total score - 94
Raw score - 101
Total % of max - 81
Raw % of max - 87
Total average score per round - 6.3
Raw average score per round - 6.7
Number of maxes - 6
Steve:
Total score - 24
Raw score - 70
Total % of max - 21
Raw % of max - 60
Total average score per round - 1.6
Raw average score per round - 4.7
Number of maxes - 2
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62