So, let's get going.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 16 April 2014.
C1: Champion Mark Murray (4 wins, 443 points.) An Apterite and Dubliner living in Bristol.
C2: Challenger David Jameson. A gardener from Colwyn Bay, Conwy. He's a member of the Colwyn Bay Chess Club, and once got to the top of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii.
DC: Susie Dent and Louise Minchin.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: D P T A E I K M S
R02: B P D E O U N W R
R03: 75, 25, 8, 9, 7, 1. Target: 671.
TTT: DAMPCORE - "A friend might help you get this answer"
R04: M V R E I E S N G
R05: S L D A O A R B E
R06: 75, 10, 1, 9, 6, 2. Target: 763.
R07: S N X R I A E F T
R08: M O A S D N I G O
R09: 100, 75, 9, 1, 2, 10. Target: 493.
TTT: DONTGAIN - "If you're doing this, you don't gain, but others do"
R10: C T N Q I E O T G
R11: L T Y U A E S O M
R12: C H R I U O D L E
R13: S Z R A O E I T N
R14: 50, 9, 8, 1, 10, 6. Target: 359.
R15: C O I N P U R G E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: D P T A E I K M S
Mark: mistaked
David: spaited
DC: SPAIT (5) MISTAKE (7) PASTIME (7)
OT: DAMPEST (7) MISDATE (7) SKIMPED (7) STAMPED (7)
Score: 0–0 (max 7)
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. A bad start by our players with a double zero here................
Round 2: B P D E O U N W R
Mark: POUNDER (7)
David: BROWNED (7)
DC: BOUNDER (7)
OT: REBOUND (7) REWOUND (7) UNBOWED (7) UNROBED (7) UNROPED (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 14)
That's much better from our contestants here.
Round 3: 75, 25, 8, 9, 7, 1. Target: 671.
Mark: 671. ((75 + 9) x 8) - 1 (10)
David: 673.
Score: 17–7 (max 24)
A very good solve by Mark (compared to my long-winded effort) to give him his first lead of the day.
Teatime teaser: DAMPCORE -> COMPADRE
Round 4: M V R E I E S N G
Mark: SEVERING (8)
David: SEVERING (8)
DC: VERSING (7) SERVING (7)
OT: REGIMENS (8)
Score: 25–15 (max 32)
David is certainly not SEVERING his ties to Mark, no matter how hard Mark tries
Round 5: S L D A O A R B E
Mark: areolas
David: RESOLD (6)
DC: ADORABLE (8) BRESAOLA (8)
OT: BASELOAD (8) SEABOARD (8)
Score: 25–21 (max 40)
Ouch, very unfortunate for Mark, as the plural of AREOLA is AREOLAE, not areolas.
But, that's good news for David, who shrinks the deficit to 4 points.Round 6: 75, 10, 1, 9, 6, 2. Target: 763.
Mark: 763. (10 x 75) + (2 x 6) + 1 (10)
David: 763. (10 x 75) + 9 + 6 - 2 (10)
Score: 35–31 (max 50)
A nice and easy numbers game for both, and this game is nice and tight still.
Louise talks about an interview she did with James McAvoy, where she unintentionally showed him more than she bargained for.
Round 7: S N X R I A E F T
Mark: FAINTER (7)
David: FAINTER (7)
DC: FIXATE (6) TRANSFIX (8)
Score: 42–38 (max 58)
There was me falling for the fainters trap.
But, DC pull out all the stops with a fantastic darrenic 8. Round 8: M O A S D N I G O
Mark: DOMAINS (7)
David: DOSING (6)
DC: MANGOS (6) DINGOS (6)
OT: AGONISM (7) DAIMONS (7) DOOMING (7) GANOIDS (7) GOODMAN (7) GOONDAS (7) MADISON (7)
Score: 49–38 (max 65)
Mark's lead returns to double figures thanks to his DOMAINS. Will he push on now, or will his run follow his current trend of "crucial, crush, crucial, crush".
GANOID is of or pertaining to the Ganoidei, a group of mostly extinct fishes characterized by hard, bony scales, the living species of which include the paddlefishes, sturgeons, and gars.
In Indian English, a GOONDA is a rogue or hoodlum.
Round 9: 100, 75, 9, 1, 2, 10. Target: 493.
Mark: 492. ((10 / 2) x 100) - (9 - 1) (7)
David: -
RR: 493. ((9 x 100) + 75 + 10 + 1) / 2 (10)
Score: 56–38 (max 75)
David blanks out, while Mark gets to 1 away, with Rachel needing extra time to get to the target.
Teatime teaser: DONTGAIN -> DONATING
Round 10: C T N Q I E O T G
Mark: NOTICE (6)
David: TONIC (5)
OT: COGENT (6) GOTTEN (6) NOETIC (6) TIENTO (6) TOEING (6) TOTING (6)
Score: 62–38 (max 81)
Not much to go at there, but at least Mark took enough NOTICE to spot a 6 there.
NOETIC is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the mind.
Round 11: L T Y U A E S O M
Mark: AMULETS (7)
David: MOSTLY (6)
DC: SOULMATE (8)
Score: 69–38 (max 89)
Some lovely AMULETS for Mark, who is now charging ahead, as we head to the final stages.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of rhyming slang in the Seven Dials area of London, and how it's still evolving today.
Round 12: C H R I U O D L E
Mark: CLOUDIER (8)
David: choired
DC: CHOIR (5) CHLORIDE (8) LURCHED (7)
Score: 77–38 (max 97)
The future is definitely looking CLOUDIER for David, as Mark's brilliant 8 will have brightened up his day, as that has also wrapped up his 5th win.
Round 13: S Z R A O E I T N
Mark: NOTARIZES (18)
David: ARISE (5)
DC: RETAINS (7) STAINER (7)
Score: 95–38 (max 115)
NOW THAT'S THE WAY TO WRAP UP THE LETTERS FOR THE DAY
A brilliant 9 from Mark gives him a brilliant chance to get another century to add his quartet of tons already. Round 14: 50, 9, 8, 1, 10, 6. Target: 359.
Mark: 359. ((6 + 1) x 50) + 9 (10)
David: 359. ((6 + 1) x 50) + 9 (10)
Score: 105–48 (max 125)
And that easy solve does indeed give him century #5.
Round 15: C O I N P U R G E
Mark buzzes on 1.5 seconds to say RECOUPING which is correct.
Final Score: 115–48 (max 135)
And another super-fast conundrum for Mark sees him match his "début" score of 115 from last Thursday.
So, Mark has 558 points from his 5 games, and barring a super miracle, he should be shooting up to the top of the leaderboard on Monday.
Join me tomorrow to see if he can make it 6 of the best.
Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Mark:
Total score - 115
Raw score - 115
Total % of max - 85
Raw % of max - 85
Total average score per round - 7.7
Raw average score per round - 7.7
Number of maxes - 10
David:
Total score - 48
Raw score - 77
Total % of max - 36
Raw % of max - 57
Total average score per round - 3.2
Raw average score per round - 5.1
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70