Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 30 January 2014.
C1: Champion Andy Gardner (1 win, 91 points.) An trainee accountant from Reading, Berkshire. He once got stuck on the top of the roof at his boarding school, as he couldn't get down........
C2: Challenger Martin Howes. An Apterite and heating engineer from Telford, Shropshire. He's also a narrowboat enthusiast, having owned one for 23 years, and is the chairman of the Wolverhampton Boat Club.
DC: Susie Dent and Nicki Chapman.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: D N B U A R E G I
R02: M O S A X E T U G
R03: 50, 75, 6, 3, 9, 10. Target: 407.
TTT: NICESTIR - "It's not nice to stir things up, but these will do it"
R04: N E H A R O S A V
R05: L D N E O I R T G
R06: 25, 1, 5, 2, 10, 3. Target: 975.
R07: R M A O A Q B M I
R08: H O L E K I T E J
R09: 100, 25, 7, 5, 4, 10. Target: 481.
TTT: ENIDFRED - "Enid and Fred were pals on social media"
R10: F O G I C U D A V
R11: T S C M I E A N O
R12: P E S O R E W I F
R13: H S P E I T S A D
R14: 100, 5, 7, 4, 3, 5. Target: 202.
R15: H A N G M O T I F (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: D N B U A R E G I
C1: BEARING (7)
C2: BEARING (7)
DC: BEARDING (8) UNBRAID (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)
The contestants are BEARING down today, but they should've been BEARDING down towards a darrenic start............
Round 2: M O S A X E T U G
C1: OUTAGES (7)
C2: GAMEST (6)
DC: GUSTO (5)
Score: 14–7 (max 15)
Too many OUTAGES on the show, but that's good for Andy who takes the first lead today.
Round 3: 50, 75, 6, 3, 9, 10. Target: 407.
C1: 400. (6 x 75) - 50 (5)
C2: 406. Mistake in working.
RR: 407. (6 x 75) - 50 + 10 - 3 (10)
Score: 19–7 (max 25)
Oh dear, a bad round for the mathematical lot, as Martin mistakenly thinks that 125 x 3 = 425, and Andy drops 5 easy points by not adding the 10 and taking the 3 away........
Teatime teaser: NICESTIR -> INCITERS
Round 4: N E H A R O S A V
C1: SHAVEN (6)
C2: REASON (6)
DC: HOARSE (6) RAVENS (6)
OT: SENHORA (7)
Score: 25–13 (max 32)
Interesting that Susie thought the need to check that SHAVEN was in the dictionary.........
But, there was a darrenic 7 left alone here.............Round 5: L D N E O I R T G
C1: RINGED (6)
C2: TENDRIL (7)
DC: RINGLET (7) GROINED (7)
OT: ERODING (7) GENITOR (7) GLINTED (7) GLORIED (7) GODLIER (7) GOITRED (7) IGNORED (7) LENTIGO (7) LENTOID (7) LORDING (7) REDOING (7) RETINOL (7) TINGLED (7) TRIGONE (7)
Score: 25–20 (max 39)
7's aplenty here, but not for Andy, who lets Martin come back in with his extending TENDRIL.
Round 6: 25, 1, 5, 2, 10, 3. Target: 975.
C1: 975. Mistake in working.
C2: -
RR: 975. (5 - 2 + 10) x 3 x 25 (10)
Score: 25–20 (max 49)
Oh dear, probably one of the worst numbers games ever, as a simple multiplication turns into a brain freeze for Martin and a mental short circuit for Andy...............
Nicki talks about her experiences of hosting the Chelsea Flower Show.
Round 7: R M A O A Q B M I
C1: ROAM (4)
C2: AROMA (5)
DC: MARIMBA (7)
Score: 25–25 (max 56)
Oh dear, while Andy has a ROAM, Martin can smell the AROMA of a comeback, as he levels it up, while DC key up nicely with their MARIMBA.
Round 8: H O L E K I T E J
C1: ELITE (5)
C2: ELITE (5)
DC: THOLE (5)
OT: EOLITH (6)
Score: 30–30 (max 62)
Not really the ELITE matchup today, but it's still tight. A very nice 6 was available there too.
An EOLITH is a chipped stone of the late Tertiary Period in Europe once thought to have been flaked by humans but now known to be the product of natural, non-human agencies.
Round 9: 100, 25, 7, 5, 4, 10. Target: 481.
C1: 481. (5 x 100) - 25 + 10 - 4 (10)
C2: 481. Mistake in working.
Score: 40–30 (max 72)
Oh dear, it's another numbers disaster for Martin, as he realises that he's used the 4 twice, and Andy suddenly leads by 10.
Teatime teaser: ENIDFRED -> FRIENDED
Round 10: F O G I C U D A V
C1: AUDIO (5)
C2: AVOID (5)
DC: FUCOID (6)
Score: 45–35 (max 78)
Not much joy in this round, but DC do find the darrenic 6.
Round 11: T S C M I E A N O
C1: SECTION (7)
C2: moaniest
DC: AMNIOTES (8) ENCOMIAST (18)
Score: 52–35 (max 96)
Ouch, Martin falls into the perillous trap of going for moaniest, and not the correct AMNIOTES, but DC go one better with the awesome NINE
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "favour", as in a romantic gesture, as well as "garter" and "snood".
Round 12: P E S O R E W I F
C1: POWERS (6)
C2: WIPERS (6)
DC: SWIPER (6)
OT: FRISEE (6) POSIER (6) REPOSE (6) SOIREE (6) SPEWER (6)
Score: 58–41 (max 102)
Loadsa loadsa sixes here, but nothing more.
FRISEE is a curly-edged form of Cichorium endivia used in salads.
Round 13: H S P E I T S A D
C1: PASTED (6)
C2: PHASES (6)
DC: PITHEADS (8)
OT: PISSHEAD (8) SHADIEST (8)
Score: 64–47 (max 110)
A pair of 6's from the contestants, whereas we'd have liked DC to say the similar sounding word to what they said instead.
Round 14: 100, 5, 7, 4, 3, 5. Target: 202.
C1: 202. ((5 - 3) x 100) + 7 - 5 (10)
C2: 202. ((5 - 3) x 100) + 7 - 5 (10)
Score: 74–57 (max 120)
Well, Martin gets the numbers this time, but unfortunately, his past failures have given the game to Andy.
Round 15: H A N G M O T I F
C2 buzzes on 5.75 seconds to say FATHOMING which is correct.
Final Score: 74–67 (max 130)
And getting the conundrum just makes it more agonising for Martin, as he misses out by just 7 points, letting Andy register his 2nd close win.
Anthony will be in the recappers' chair tomorrow to see if Andy can make it a hat-trick.
Everything should be back to normal next week, so expect to see me on Wednesday and Thursday next week.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Andy:
Total score - 74
Raw score - 84
Total % of max - 57
Raw % of max - 65
Total average score per round - 4.9
Raw average score per round - 5.6
Number of maxes - 4
Martin:
Total score - 67
Raw score - 73
Total % of max - 52
Raw % of max - 56
Total average score per round - 4.5
Raw average score per round - 4.9
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70