Monday 3rd February (series 70 prelim 21)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 3 February 2014.

C1: Champion Andy Gardner (3 wins, 262 points.) Three wins now for the reigning champion. He is still yet to score a century however.
C2: Challenger Dave Barker. A civilian police employee from Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Dave has written a short story collection that didn’t sell well but was enjoyed by all who read it.
DC: Susie Dent and Jon Culshaw.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: T P S O A Z E R N
R02: M U G R O E S N T
R03: 4, 7, 8, 10, 25, 100. Target: 360.
TTT: CATRIVET - "it sounds very good looking, well it is about pulling power"
R04: A C I D M A S G E
R05: F C D O I E S Q R
R06: 4, 8, 2, 4, 25, 50. Target: 981.
R07: N M L U A T I G N
R08: E L S A R P O F A
R09: 10, 4, 8, 8, 100, 50. Target: 632.
TTT: HOLDSPIN - "you can hold on these creatures and they'll take you for a spin"
R10: I T H E J O R H D
R11: V S E I N B A S R
R12: Y E T O V N I T A
R13: K G H O I E B S D
R14: 9, 10, 8, 10, 100, 25. Target: 498.
R15: Q U E E N C O L E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: T P S O A Z E R N

C1: PARENTS (7)
C2: STONER (6)
DC: TOPAZES (7) PRONATES (8)
OT: OPERANTS (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)
The champion continues where he left off with a solid seven. Dave doubts that his six is even a word, but its confirmed as in by Susie.

Round 2: M U G R O E S N T

C1: GOURMET (7)
C2: GRUNTS (6)
DC: GOURMETS (8)
OT: MOUNTERS (8) REMOUNTS (8) STURGEON (8)
Score: 14–0 (max 16)
The champion goes further ahead with a seven, though he fails to add the S to GOURMET to give him an 8. He says he had it but couldn’t be sure it would be allowed.

Round 3: 4, 7, 8, 10, 25, 100. Target: 360.

C1: 364. Mistake in working.
C2: 354. (100*4) -(8*7)+10 (5)
RR: 360. (100-10)*4 (10)
Score: 14–5 (max 26)
Dave gets on the score sheet with his six away, though Rachel’s very simple solve has both contestants kicking themselves.

Teatime teaser: CATRIVET -> TRACTIVE

Round 4: A C I D M A S G E

C1: IMAGED (6)
C2: ADAGES (6)
DC: DAMAGES (7)
OT: AGAMIDS (7)
Score: 20–11 (max 33)
Six a piece for the contestants but DC spot the max here with DAMAGES.

Round 5: F C D O I E S Q R

C1: FORCED (6)
C2: doric
DC: FIORDS (6)
OT: CIDERS (6) CODERS (6) COSIED (6) COSIER (6) CREDOS (6) DECORS (6) DICERS (6) DORIES (6) FODIES (6) FORCES (6) FRESCO (6) SCORED (6) SCRIED (6)
Score: 26–11 (max 39)
Six more points for the champion. It’s a poor round by Dave who fails to spot even one of the fifteen sixes in this round, apparently Steven McCann spotted all fifteen of them. Susie (like the dead parrot in monty python) is pining for the FIORDS.


Round 6: 4, 8, 2, 4, 25, 50. Target: 981.

C1: 988. (25-4-2)+(8/4)*50 (5)
C2: 982. Mistake in working.
OT: 982 = (25 − 4 − 2) × 50 + 8 × 4
Score: 31–11 (max 46)

The champion does well to get seven away as Rachel proclaims the game to be impossible.


DC guest: Jon Culshaw says a poem about the TV show DR WHO in light of the shows 50th anniversary


Round 7: N M L U A T I G N

C1: MALTING (7)
C2: GIANT (5)
S. McCann: MANTLING (8)
Score: 38–11 (max 52)
Dave’s chances of a GIANT score seem over already. The champion takes a 27 point lead with MALTING, but all including Susie miss the max in this round.


Round 8: E L S A R P O F A

C1: PARASOL (7)
C2: POSER (5)
DC: POLARS (6) AREOLA (6) LOAFERS (7)
OT: FELSPAR (7) PAROLES (7) REPOSAL (7)
Score: 45–11 (max 59)
Nice spot by the champion, but Dave can’t manage more than five and the game looks pretty much wrapped up already.

Round 9: 10, 4, 8, 8, 100, 50. Target: 632.

C1: 624.
C2: 632. (50*10)+100+(8*4) (10)
Score: 45–21 (max 69)
Finally a strong round by Dave. A fine solve gives him the much needed ten points.

Teatime teaser: HOLDSPIN -> DOLPHINS

Round 10: I T H E J O R H D

C1: DITHER (6)
C2: DITHER (6)
DC: HITHER (6)
OT: EDITOR (6) HERIOT (6) RIOTED (6) TRIODE (6)
Score: 51–27 (max 75)
No DITHERing here as both contestants spot the max to increase their scores further

Round 11: V S E I N B A S R

C1: RAVINES (7)
C2: RAVINES (7)
DC: SARNIES (7)
OT: BASSIER (7) BRAISES (7) BRASSIE (7) NIVASES (7) VERSINS (7)
Score: 58–34 (max 82)
A flat round sees the gap remain the same.


OoW: Susie talks about words relating to silliness



Round 12: Y E T O V N I T A

C1: TAINT (5)
C2: VANITY (6)
DC: NATIVE (6)
OT: NAIVETY (7) TANTIVY (7)
Score: 58–40 (max 89)
Dave gets to within twenty of the champion with the excellent VANITY. Two sevens go unnoticed here however (though I’m sure Steven McCann spotted them)

Round 13: K G H O I E B S D

C1: boshed
C2: SIGHED (6)
DC: KIBOSH (6)
OT: BODGIES (7)
Score: 58–46 (max 96)
DC put the KIBOSH on the champions word and Dave’s SIGHED takes him to within twelve. Despite a poor first half Dave seems to have a genuine chance of causing the upset now.

Round 14: 9, 10, 8, 10, 100, 25. Target: 498.

C1: 499. (25-10-10)*100-(9-8) (7)
C2: -
OT: 498. (100 ÷ 25 × 10 + 9) × 10 + 8 (10)
Score: 65–46 (max 108)
But a missed numbers game by Dave gives our champion his fourth win

Round 15: Q U E E N C O L E

C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say ELOQUENCE which is correct.
Final Score: 75–46 (max 118)
Despite some weak letters rounds towards the end of the game the champion finishes on a high by spotting the conundrum. Can he succeed where Bobby and Priscilla failed and become the first octochamp of the series.

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70

[James Robinson]

Round 6: 4, 8, 2, 4, 25, 50. Target: 981.

C1: 988. (25-4-2)+(8/4)*50 (5)
C2: 982. Mistake in working.
Score: 31–11 (max 44)

Round 14: 9, 10, 8, 10, 100, 25. Target: 498.

C1: 499. (25-10-10)*100-(9-8) (7)
C2: -
OT: 498. (100 ÷ 25 × 10 + 9) × 10 + 8 (10)
Score: 65–46 (max 108)

Round 15: Q U E E N C O L E

C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say ELOQUENCE which is correct.
Final Score: 75–46 (max 113)

Don't forget to use the solver to check up on impossible numbers..............., Andy.

A good hint, if Rachel doesn't say an exact number, is to put a question mark, where you put what Rachel has declared, then the OT boxes will activate and you can access the solver.

So, the final max should be 118.

[Fred Mumford]

So, the final max should be 118.

Steven McCann is so good he scored 145.

[Andy McGurn]

So, the final max should be 118.

Steven McCann is so good he scored 145.

When I first wrote this recap, I put a Steven McCann joke in almost every round, including him scoring above the max due to getting the impossible numbers game. But then I thought it was too silly and cut most of them out.

[Gavin Chipper]

The maxes after rounds 7 to 13 still need repairing.

[Jack Worsley]

Round 5: F C D O I E S Q R

C1: FORCED (6)
C2: doric
DC: FIORDS (6)
OT: CIDERS (6) CODERS (6) COSIED (6) COSIER (6) CREDOS (6) DECORS (6) DICERS (6) DORIES (6) FODIES (6) FORCES (6) FRESCO (6) SCORED (6) SCRIED (6)
Score: 26–11 (max 39)
Six more points for the champion. It’s a poor round by Dave who fails to spot even one of the fifteen sixes in this round, apparently Steven McCann spotted all fifteen of them.

Actually, he only got 12 as he'd never heard of FORCES, FORCED or SCORED. (See Ryan's post in this thread: http://www.c4countdown.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10236)