Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 9 January 2014.
C1: Champion Bobby Banerjee (3 wins, 257 points.) A recruitment consultant from Birmingham.
C2: Challenger John Godwin. A maintenance engineer from Birkenhead, Merseyside. He's a keen motorcyclist and enjoys the TT races on the Isle of Man.
DC: Susie Dent and John Inverdale.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S F Z E J O E U S
R02: M S I U A N H E N
R03: 50, 9, 5, 2, 10, 3. Target: 381.
TTT: ABIGPREP - "He has to do a lot of prep in order to get his act together"
R04: T S A E V T O I S
R05: Y R L E I O R T E
R06: 25, 7, 6, 6, 8, 1. Target: 702.
R07: G B D G A I O A M
R08: C R I E N T O N E
R09: 100, 75, 1, 8, 2, 10. Target: 195.
TTT: DRABBEER - "Made the necessary cuts in order to do his job"
R10: S H F U E I W P E
R11: T D V A E L D I E
R12: R G R U E P O I B
R13: T R A D E Q G O E
R14: 25, 7, 6, 1, 9, 4. Target: 918.
R15: A C I D E R B A R (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: S F Z E J O E U S
C1: FUSES (5)
C2: FUSES (5)
OT: FUSEES (6)
Score: 5–5 (max 6)
A couple of FUSES from our contestants, but there are some FUSEES lying around.
A FUSEE is a wooden friction match having a large head, formerly used when a larger than normal flame was needed.
Round 2: M S I U A N H E N
C1: shamen
C2: MANNISH (7)
DC: HUMANISE (8)
OT: INHUMANE (8)
Score: 5–12 (max 14)
Bobby goes behind for the first time in his run. Is John going to give him a run for his money today, I wonder
Round 3: 50, 9, 5, 2, 10, 3. Target: 381.
C1: 383. ((10 - 2) x 50) - 9 - 5 - 3 (7)
C2: -
RR: 381. ((5 + 3) x 50) - 10 - 9 (10)
Score: 12–12 (max 24)
But, it seems that John might've picked up Devey-itis, as Bobby levels up with his 2 away, although it's a bad, bad miss by our contestants here............
Teatime teaser: ABIGPREP -> BAGPIPER
Round 4: T S A E V T O I S
C1: STAVES (6)
C2: SAVES (5)
DC: TOASTIES (8)
OT: STATIVES (8)
Score: 18–12 (max 32)
Eeek, John SAVES are slightly beaten by the STAVES of Bobby, while DC warm us up with some delicious TOASTIES. Yum, yum.
Round 5: Y R L E I O R T E
C1: LOITERER (8)
C2: LOITER (6)
Score: 26–12 (max 40)
Ouch, even worth for John follows, as he forgets to add the other ER to his LOITER, letting Bobby extend his lead further.
Round 6: 25, 7, 6, 6, 8, 1. Target: 702.
C1: 701. ((6 - (8 - 6)) x 25 x 7) + 1 (7)
C2: -
RR: 702. (7 + 6) x 6 x (8 + 1) (10)
Score: 33–12 (max 50)
No sign of improvement from John, as Bobby goes further ahead.
John carries on the 1914 theme with the story of "Martha", the last Passenger Pigeon.
Round 7: G B D G A I O A M
C1: ADAGIO (6)
C2: BAG (3)
DC: GAMBADO (7)
Score: 39–12 (max 57)
John has just fallen apart now, hopefully that BAG isn't for his head..................
An exceptional darrenic 7 from DC too. 
Round 8: C R I E N T O N E
C1: INTONE (6)
C2: TINNER (6)
DC: ERECTION (8) NEOTERIC (8)
OT: CRETONNE (8) INCENTRE (8) NEOTENIC (8)
Score: 45–18 (max 65)
Well, John has got back in thanks to his TINNER, while DC boast about their ERECTION.........
CRETONNE is a heavy cotton material in colorfully printed designs, used especially for drapery and slipcovers.
NEOTENIC is an adjective relating to NEOTONY, the persistence of larval or fetal features in the adult form of an animal.
Round 9: 100, 75, 1, 8, 2, 10. Target: 195.
C1: 195. 100 + 75 + (2 x 10) (10)
C2: 198, then tried to change it to 196.
Score: 55–18 (max 75)
Well, just about everyone must've thought that John was finally going to score in the numbers, but instead he declares 3 away, then tries to change to 1 away, but it's no good, and it's just more agony for him................
Teatime teaser: DRABBEER -> BARBERED
Round 10: S H F U E I W P E
C1: SWIPE (5)
C2: SWIPE (5)
DC: SHEEP (5)
OT: FUSEE (5) SWEEP (5) WEEPS (5) WHIPS (5) WHUPS (5) WIPES (5)
Score: 60–23 (max 80)
A couple of SWIPEs here, and that's as good as it gets, apart from John pulling a SHEEP.
Round 11: T D V A E L D I E
C1: DETAILED (8)
C2: VALETED (7)
DC: DEVIATED (8)
Score: 68–23 (max 88)
A DETAILED offering from Bobby has put him within touching distance of his 4th win.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "blatantly".
Round 12: R G R U E P O I B
C1: GROUPIE (7)
C2: GROUPER (7)
DC: PIROGUE (7)
OT: PRURIGO (7) REGROUP (7)
Score: 75–30 (max 95)
And Bobby's GROUPIE has wrapped up his 4th win.
PRURIGO is a skin condition characterized by itching papules.
Round 13: T R A D E Q G O E
C1: goater
C2: GRATED (6)
DC: GOATEE (6) GOATEED (7) DEROGATE (8)
Score: 75–36 (max 103)
Well, at least Bobby has already wrapped up the game, as you certainly can't be a goater........
Round 14: 25, 7, 6, 1, 9, 4. Target: 918.
C1: 916. (((25 x 4) + 1) x 9) + 7 (7)
C2: 924.
RR: 918. ((25 x 4) + 1 + 7 - 6) x 9 (10)
Score: 82–36 (max 113)
Another numbers game that is easier than it looks, and yet another one that Bobby half gets, but with a little tinkering, would have perfection.
Round 15: A C I D E R B A R
C1 buzzes on 2.25 seconds to say BARRICADE which is correct.
Final Score: 92–36 (max 123)
But, that's a super fast solve from Bobby there, and it's another confident performance, against another opponent who only provided real competition in some of the letters games.
But, you can't help who you're up against, and Bobby has taken full advantage to get his 4th win on the spin. Will he have a clean sweep of the week
Join Anthony Endsor tomorrow to see if he'll do just that. I'll be back on Wednesday for what could be Bobby's octochamp game.
So, till then, have a great weekend, and bye bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Bobby:
Total score - 92
Raw score - 92
Total % of max - 75
Raw % of max - 75
Total average score per round - 6.1
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 6
John:
Total score - 36
Raw score - 69
Total % of max - 29
Raw % of max - 56
Total average score per round - 2.4
Raw average score per round - 4.6
Number of maxes - 2
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70