Monday 15th December 2014 (series 71, QF3)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 15 December 2014.

C1: Champion Laurence Killen (8 wins.) A student of actuarial sciences from Belfast currently studying at Herriot Watt university. Scored 794 points over his eight games to become the number six seed.

C2: Champion Tricia Pay (8 wins.) Introduced as “Patricia” by Nick, a retired assistant land registrar from Dunsford in Devon. She is the number three seed with 857 points


DC: Susie Dent and David Baddiel.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: O L R M E U S P C
R02: D N S A E I Y P M
R03: 6, 7, 4, 7, 9, 1. Target: 217.
TTT: SHESTRIM - "Mr Burns tears his assistant to pieces"
R04: T S P A E A V T O
R05: R Q S I U O T L F
R06: 9, 7, 5, 8, 9, 75. Target: 493.
R07: R N G E I A B L S
R08: N R X E A E T N S
R09: 6, 2, 9, 25, 75, 100. Target: 247.
TTT: COUGHSON - "this is definitely a teatime teaser"
R10: R T B I O A G D O
R11: T F K A I G C N E
R12: H M T I E A N D C
R13: G N U O R D T I R
R14: 2, 3, 8, 4, 8, 50. Target: 398.
R15: N O R T H D A S H (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Round 1: O L R M E U S P C

Laurence: CRUMPLES (8)
Tricia: CRUMPLES (8)
DC: COUPLES (7) COUPLERS (8)
OT: SCRUMPLE (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)

Laurence said he thinks he has an eight which turns out to be CRUMPLES, you’d think he would know that was a sure fire word. Tricia has the same.

Round 2: D N S A E I Y P M

Laurence: DAMPENS (7)
Tricia: IMPENDS (7)
DC: DYNAMISE (8) MEDIANS (7)
Score: 15–15 (max 16)

Its tough to spot the only available eight in this round but its good sevens for the contestants.


Round 3: 6, 7, 4, 7, 9, 1. Target: 217.

Laurence: 217. ((4*6)+7)*7 (10)
Tricia: 217. (4*7)+(9-6)*7 (10)
Score: 25–25 (max 26)

It looks like both contestants realised early on that they were looking for 31x7 and both find it in different ways.



Teatime teaser: SHESTRIM -> SMITHERS

Round 4: T S P A E A V T O

Laurence: TEAPOTS (7)
Tricia: APOSTATE (8)
DC: TOAST (5) TEAPOTS (7)
Score: 25–33 (max 34)

That’s a great spot from Tricia as her APOSTATE gives her the first lead of the game. Laurence gets perhaps the most countdowny word of all.


Round 5: R Q S I U O T L F

Laurence: FLORIST (7)
Tricia: flouters
DC: LIQUORS (7)
OT: FLORUITS (8)
Score: 32–33 (max 42)

An uncharacteristic error from Tricia sees her see a letter than isn’t there. Laurence’s FLORIST thus brings him back to just one point behind.


Round 6: 9, 7, 5, 8, 9, 75. Target: 493.

Laurence: 493. (7*75)-((5-1)*8) (10)
Tricia: -
Score: 42–33 (max 52)

Tricia is asked first and declares nothing, Laurence has the solution which wasn’t really that difficult and he now has the lead.



DC Guest: David Baddiel talks about his new book, he’s written novels before but this is his first children’s book. He says his son Ezra is the inspiration.



Round 7: R N G E I A B L S

Laurence: BEARINGS (8)
Tricia: REGAINS (7)
DC: BANGERS (7) BLEARING (8)
OT: REALIGNS (8) REBASING (8) RESIGNAL (8) SIGNABLE (8) SINGABLE (8) SLANGIER (8)
Score: 50–33 (max 60)

Tricia declares “7 not written down” suggesting that she felt early on that she’d get an 8 from that selection. Despite there being seven 8’s in the selection she misses them all. Laurence maxes again and now has a seventeen point lead


Round 8: N R X E A E T N S

Laurence: NEAREST (7)
Tricia: TENNERS (7)
DC: EASTERN (7) TANNERS (7)
OT: ANNEXES (7) EARNEST (7) ENSNARE (7) EXTERNS (7) NEATENS (7) STERANE (7)
Score: 57–40 (max 67)

A very flat round enables Laurence to maintain his lead.



Round 9: 6, 2, 9, 25, 75, 100. Target: 247.

Laurence: 247. ((75*2)+100)-(9-6) (10)
Tricia: 247. (100*2)+75-25-(9-6) (10)
Score: 67–50 (max 77)

Laurence (as he did frequently in his heat games) mixes up his numbers selections and chooses a T for Tony. Both contestants get the solution and Laurence maintains his lead into the third part of the show.



Teatime teaser: COUGHSON -> SOUCHONG

Round 10: R T B I O A G D O

Laurence: RATIO (5)
Tricia: TOROID (6)
DC: DIRTBAG (7)
Score: 67–56 (max 84)

This could be the start of a comeback for Tricia as she gets six to Laurence’s five, she’ll still have to win at least another round before the conundrum however in order to stay in with a chance of making the semi-finals.


Round 11: T F K A I G C N E

Laurence: TACKING (7)
Tricia: TACKING (7)
DC: FAKING (6) INTAKE (6)
OT: FECKING (7)
Score: 74–63 (max 91)

Both have TACKING, but given Laurence’s Irish accent it would have been way cooler if he’d gone for FECKING.


Round 12: H M T I E A N D C

Laurence: CHANTED (7)
Tricia: MATCHED (7)
DC: MEDIANT (7) MACHINED (8)
OT: ANTHEMIC (8)
Score: 81–70 (max 99)

This may have been Tricia’s chance to get back to within ten but, like Laurence, she misses the max and time may be running out for her.

ANTHEMIC and MACHINED are words she should be capable of spotting, maybe it’s the pressure


Round 13: G N U O R D T I R

Laurence: TOURING (7)
Tricia: TOURING (7)
DC: ROUTING (7)
OT: DOUTING (7) RORTING (7)
Score: 88–77 (max 106)


Pretty easy to max this round and, as Laurence is the stronger numbers player, you have to feel that the game is his now.


Round 14: 2, 3, 8, 4, 8, 50. Target: 398.

Laurence: 398. (8*50)-2 (10)
Tricia: 398. (8*50)-2 (10)
Score: 98–87 (max 116)

Rachel asked Tricia if she wanted to gamble but she chooses not to and one of the easiest numbers game you could get presents itself, and Laurence is now in the semis


Round 15: N O R T H D A S H

Tricia buzzes on 3 seconds to say SHORTHAND which is correct.
Final Score: 98–97 (max 126)

Tricia ensures she only loses by one point as she nails the conundrum to give herself a score of 97. Laurence will be relieved to have hung on for the win and he now goes forward to an all Irish semi against Antoinette Ryan, in a Northern Ireland vs the Republic battle.

Laurence has become the first lower seed to beat the higher seed in these series finals. Tomorrow should be a close one as mark b davies faces George Ford, for the right to face Dan McColm in the semis. Join Callum to see who completes the semi-final line up.

Merry Christmas to everybody in the c4countdown community….



Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71