Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 17 February 2016.
C1: Champion David Armstrong (2 wins, 174 points.) From Portlethen, Aberdeenshire.
C2: Challenger Natalie Helme. A procurement manager from Enfield, Greater London. She met her partner whilst backpacking in Thailand, and has been travelling all over the world ever since going to Mauritius, Cyprus and New York, amongst others.
DC: Susie Dent and Richard Arnold.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: H M T A E A R V N
R02: R D E R I E L I S
R03: 50, 5, 5, 2, 3, 7. Target: 873.
TTT: SCOURBIN - "They're not scams with jewels, but tricks are involved"
R04: Y A E S D S U E D
R05: L G N O I E T G R
R06: 100, 5, 6, 7, 2, 9. Target: 677.
R07: C P X U O I S G P
R08: S D T A E A V R O
R09: 25, 8, 10, 3, 2, 6. Target: 722.
TTT: TIGERTAN - "Spoiling someone or seeing to their wounds"
R10: N R L A O I P R A
R11: T B N E O E W C A
R12: D J D E I N S E T
R13: B L S O U O K T L
R14: 100, 7, 1, 3, 6, 10. Target: 339.
R15: G O L D T I A R A (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: H M T A E A R V N
David: MANTRA (6)
Natalie: heater
DC: TAVERN (6) EARTHMAN (8)
OT: MAATHERN (8)
Score: 6–0 (max 8)
Oh dear, a bad start for Natalie, as she immediately realises that there's only one E in the selection......
MAATHERN is a dialect term of MAYTHE, any of various white-rayed species of chamomile (genus Anthemis and perhaps allied genera), chiefly weeds of cultivated ground; especially (also more fully stinking maythe) stinking chamomile, Anthemis cotula.
Round 2: R D E R I E L I S
David: SLIDER (6)
Natalie: SLIDER (6)
DC: RESILED (7)
OT: REISLED (7) RELIERS (7) RESIDER (7) RESLIDE (7) SERRIED (7)
Score: 12–6 (max 15)
Time for some SLIDERs, but DC seem to be RESILED for 7.
In Scotland, to REISLE is to beat with rattling blows.
SERRIED is an adjective referring to standing close together in rows of people or things.
Round 3: 50, 5, 5, 2, 3, 7. Target: 873.
David: 874. Mistake in working.
Natalie: 870. Mistake in working.
RR: 873. (((50 x 3) - (5 x 5)) x 7) - 2 (10)
Score: 12–6 (max 25)
Oh dear, both players' calculations don't add up, and so it's a dead heat. Rachel needs extra time to solve it, but solve it she does.
Teatime teaser: SCOURBIN -> RUBICONS
Round 4: Y A E S D S U E D
David: SUEDES (6)
Natalie: SUEDES (6)
OT: ESSAYED (7)
Score: 18–12 (max 32)
Despite it being very dubious, Susie allows SUEDES for our players.....
Round 5: L G N O I E T G R
David: ORIENT (6)
Natalie: tingler
DC: TINGLE (6) RINGLET (7)
OT: GENITOR (7) GOINTER (7) LENTIGO (7) NIGGLER (7) RETINOL (7) RETLING (7) RIGOLET (7) TRIGONE (7)
Score: 24–12 (max 39)
Unfortunately, you can't be a tingler, and David's lead doubles in a flash.
RETLING is a dialect term for RECKLING, a small or weak animal or (occasionally) plant; the smallest and weakest animal of a litter, the runt; (in extended use) the youngest or smallest child in a family.
A RIGOLET is a North American term for a stream, a rivulet.
Round 6: 100, 5, 6, 7, 2, 9. Target: 677.
David: 677. (7 x 100) - ((9 x 2) + 5) (10)
Natalie: 682.
Score: 34–12 (max 49)
David pulls further away with his perfect solve here.
Richard talks about his recent trip to the Emmys, during which his friend, Jackie Collins, sadly passed away.
Round 7: C P X U O I S G P
David: PIOUS (5)
Natalie: PIOUS (5)
DC: GIPPOS (6)
Score: 39–17 (max 55)
Pfff, a nasty selection here, leaves us with a pair of PIOUS 5's, and a bit of an offensive 6.......
Round 8: S D T A E A V R O
David: STARVED (7)
Natalie: ROASTED (7)
DC: TORSADE (7)
OT: ADVERTS (7) RAASTED (7) REDOVAS (7)
Score: 46–24 (max 62)
Half a dozen 7's available here with both players at each end of the hunger scale.
To RAAST is to bring to a halt; to arrest the motion or action of a person, an animal, etc.
A REDOWA (or REDOVA) is a Bohemian folk dance; a ballroom dance in 3/4 or 3/8 time based on this.
Round 9: 25, 8, 10, 3, 2, 6. Target: 722.
David: 722. (((25 x 3) - 2) x 10) - 8 (10)
Natalie: -
Score: 56–24 (max 72)
Another numbers masterclass from David, and he pulls away even more.
Teatime teaser: TIGERTAN -> TREATING
Round 10: N R L A O I P R A
David: APRON (5)
Natalie: PLAIN (5)
DC: PRIOR (5)
RR: PLANAR (6)
OT: PANORAL (7) PARLOIR (7) PARORAL (7) PIANOLA (7) PRIORAL (7)
Score: 61–29 (max 79)
Plenty of obscure 7's here, but nothing better than 5's, until Rachel pops up with her PLANAR.
PANORAL is an adjective meaning designating or relating to radiographs of the teeth and jaws obtained in a single exposure.
A PARLOIR is a room in a monastery or convent set aside for conversation with visitors or between the residents.
PARORAL is an adjective meaning situated beside the mouth; specifically designating or relating to certain cilia near the mouth region in some ciliate protozoans.
PRIORAL, quite simply, means of or relating to a prior.
Round 11: T B N E O E W C A
David: CANOE (5)
Natalie: BEATEN (6)
DC: COWBANE (7)
OT: ACETONE (7)
Score: 61–35 (max 86)
She might being BEATEN, but Natalie hasn't thrown in the towel yet........
ACETONE is a colourless volatile liquid ketone made by oxidizing isopropanol, used as an organic solvent and synthetic reagent.
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "die hard".
Round 12: D J D E I N S E T
David: TEDDIES (7)
Natalie: TENSED (6)
DC: NEDDIES (7)
OT: DESTINED (8)
Score: 68–35 (max 94)
Some lovely TEDDIES from David, it's almost like he's DESTINED to win this match........
Round 13: B L S O U O K T L
David: LOOTS (5)
Natalie: BOOKS (5)
DC: bloots
OT: BOULTS (6) OBOLUS (6)
Score: 73–40 (max 100)
What a horrible round....., if only there was a C in the selection....
Round 14: 100, 7, 1, 3, 6, 10. Target: 339.
David: 339. (100 + 7 + 6) x 3 (10)
Natalie: 339. ((100 + 10 + 1) x 3) + 6 (10)
Score: 83–50 (max 110)
Good 10 points each for both players here.
Round 15: G O L D T I A R A
No one buzzes. The answer was GLADIATOR.
Final Score: 83–50 (max 120)
But, no conundrum solve, leaving a gentleman in the audience to solve it. (Interesting to also see floor manager Jay in the background too.
)So, David has a hat-trick of wins, and has kept his performances at a similar level throughout, but will he be ready for tomorrow, I wonder
As tomorrow, we unleash Paul Erdunast onto the Countdown studios, and see if he can make it a good start for a possible octorun.....
Tracey will be around for that, while I enjoy my 28th birthday tomorrow, before I head to the studios on Sunday for a nice day out.
Till next week, bye for now.
Statistics Corner
David:
Total score - 83
Raw score - 88
Total % of max - 69
Raw % of max - 73
Total average score per round - 5.5
Raw average score per round - 5.9
Number of maxes - 4
Natalie:
Total score - 50
Raw score - 63
Total % of max - 42
Raw % of max - 53
Total average score per round - 3.3
Raw average score per round - 4.2
Number of maxes - 2
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=74
