Monday 18th May 2015 (series 72, prelim 82)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 18 May 2015.

C1: Champion David Pooley (3 wins, 289 points) David Pooley- Dave from Sheffield has had “three great wins” and has “broken through the hundred barrier”. Sometimes the contestant intros (especially for the champion) seem to be a lot less detailed than they once were.

C2: Challenger Len Hughes. – A commercial finance manager from Northhamptonshire, he ground Tenby town centre to a halt on his stag do, when he and his oppos were skip roping in the streets at time.


DC: Susie Dent and Louise Minchin.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: N P T E A O M L T
R02: A E O R Y L F E S
R03: 10, 4, 25, 50, 100, 75. Target: 454.
TTT: HESHARES - "nothing new, just the same corned beef meal over again"
R04: A E A C D R U W G
R05: Z P R E O E C T M
R06: 7, 9, 10, 8, 6, 100. Target: 219.
R07: S R D O U A N G E
R08: I O I L R C E M S
R09: 8, 2, 50, 25, 75, 100. Target: 145.
TTT: AQUATIRE - "its the place to be if you love Mexican food"
R10: B K N U O E S Q T
R11: N S P I E I T F B
R12: P G N E A U E H S
R13: D R T U O A H N I
R14: 10, 2, 4, 3, 8, 50. Target: 255.
R15: G O O G L E S I T (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: N P T E A O M L T

David: MOTTLE (6)
Len: POTENT (6)
DC: POLENTA (7) OMENTAL (7)
OT: PALMETTO (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)

The contestants spot two of the many sixes available while DC spot two of the smaller number of sevens. But no one gets the single eight.
PALMETTO is one of 15 species of palm tree. It is native to the subtropical Gulf coast/south Atlantic coast of the USA, as well as Cuba.

Round 2: A E O R Y L F E S

David: FLAYERS (7)
Len: LAYERS (6)
OT: AREOLES (7) LOAFERS (7)
Score: 13–6 (max 15)

David risks FLAYERS and it turns out one can be a FLAYER if one takes action to remove the skin of another person.


Round 3: 10, 4, 25, 50, 100, 75. Target: 454.

David: 454. ((10-4)*75)+(100/25) (10)
Len: 454. (100+50)*(75/25)+4 (10)
Score: 23–16 (max 25)

Like many apterites, David has chosen four large as his signature pick, both get the solution here.


Teatime teaser: HESHARES -> REHASHES

Round 4: A E A C D R U W G

David: ARCADE (6)
Len: GRACED (6)
OT: ADWARE (6) ARGUED (6) CADGER (6) CAUDAE (6)
Score: 29–22 (max 31)

No problems here as the contestants spot simple sixes.
ADWARE is any software package which automatically renders advertisements in order to generate revenue for its author

Round 5: Z P R E O E C T M

David: COMPERE (7)
Len: METEOR (6)
OT: COMPEER (7) COMPETE (7)
Score: 36–22 (max 38)

COMPERE is not too difficult to spot so it’s a bad miss by Len giving Dave a 14 point lead.


Round 6: 7, 9, 10, 8, 6, 100. Target: 219.

David: 219. ((8-6)*100)+10+9 (10)
Len: 219. ((8-6)*100)+10+9 (10)
Score: 46–32 (max 48)

A very simple numbers game sees both contestants add ten to their score.

DC Guest – Louise talks about some of her time on The One Show, which included Will Smith getting into an argument involving blueberries.


Round 7: S R D O U A N G E

David: ORANGES (7)
Len: ORANGES (7)
DC: DANGEROUS (18)
Score: 53–39 (max 66)


Nick is really impressed with DC spotting DANGEROUS, but its just some ORANGES for Len and Dave.


Round 8: I O I L R C E M S

David: morcels
Len: RECOILS (7)
OT: ISOMERIC (8)
Score: 53–46 (max 74)

Dave had RECOILS as well as his invalid declaration, but went with morcels to be different. It was a bad move as his lead is reduced to single figures.


Round 9: 8, 2, 50, 25, 75, 100. Target: 145.

David: 145. (100+50)-((75/25)+2) (10)
Len: 145. (100+50)-((75/25)+2) (10)
Score: 63–56 (max 84)

Numbers games have been easy today and this continues with another simple one.


Teatime teaser: AQUATIRE -> TAQUERIA

Round 10: B K N U O E S Q T

David: QUEST (5)
Len: QUOTES (6)
DC: TOKENS (6)
OT: BENTOS (6) BUTEOS (6) KNOUTS (6) OBTUSE (6) SUBNET (6) TOQUES (6)
Score: 63–62 (max 90)

Bad miss by David who may still be reeling from his bad decision in the last letters game.
BUTEOS are a genus of bird which includes buzzards and hawks.
A TOQUE (plural TOQUES) is a type of hat with a narrow brim or no brim at all

Round 11: N S P I E I T F B

David: piniest
Len: SPINE (5)
DC: FINEST (6) FINITE (6)
OT: TIEPINS (7)
Score: 63–67 (max 97)

Despite being well off the pace in this round five is enough to give Len the lead for the first time as David takes an unnecessary risk.


Round 12: P G N E A U E H S

David: shapen
Len: SHAPE (5)
DC: PEAHENS (7)
Score: 63–72 (max 104)

David hasn’t scored on a letters round since his major morcels failing. It looks like that decision is costing him as he falls to nine points behind.


Round 13: D R T U O A H N I

David: DURATION (8)
Len: RAINOUT (7)
DC: ROTUNDA (7)
Score: 71–72 (max 112)

Finally a bounce back from Dave as he maxes the round to trail by a single point. Can he put his big mistake behind him and retain the champions chair?


Round 14: 10, 2, 4, 3, 8, 50. Target: 255.

David: 254.
Len: 255. ((8-3)*50)+(10/5) (10)
Score: 71–82 (max 122)

No he can’t and that bad miss has cost him the game and Len is our new champion.

Round 15: G O O G L E S I T

David buzzes on 13 seconds to say GEOLOGIST which is correct.
Final Score: 81–82 (max 132)

David finishes with the conundrum spot to lose by a single point. It looks like that morcels decision was the killer and he loses the prized champions spot because of it.

He does get GEOLOGIST which reminds me that Josh Hurst (successfully) auditioned for this show about five years ago but has never appeared (maybe soon Damien?).

Len is the new champion, who appears to have the potential to win a few, join James to see if he can win again…

[Ian Volante]

C2: Challenger Len Hughes. – A commercial finance manager from Northhamptonshire, he ground Tenby town centre to a halt on his stag do, when he and his oppos were skip roping in the streets at time.

Firstly, what's an oppo, and is skip roping the same is skipping? Vital details I know.

[Andy McGurn]

C2: Challenger Len Hughes. – A commercial finance manager from Northhamptonshire, he ground Tenby town centre to a halt on his stag do, when he and his oppos were skip roping in the streets at time.

Firstly, what's an oppo, and is skip roping the same is skipping? Vital details I know.

Oppo is a slang term for mate, I think it comes from "opposite number" but don't quote me on that. And I use the term "skip roping" because skipping is ambiguous and has multiple meanings.

[Ian Volante]

Cheers