c4countdown

Countdown recap for Tuesday 21 November 2017.

C1: Champion Graeme Staples (7 wins, 596 points.) A housing executive from Ballymena, County Antrim.
C2: Challenger Mike Smith. A retired export sales manager from Eckington, Derbyshire. He believes he has travelled over 75 with his work with delivering chemicals. Since retiring he has returned to amateur dramatics and is about to star in a play called "Murder Weapon".
DC: Susie Dent and Gyles Brandreth.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: T A B H O T U A L
R02: E T N A S R I L U
R03: 50, 75, 2, 5, 9, 8. Target: 130.
TTT: EATSUNDAE - "Usually, she'd eat the whole sundae, but the thought of it turned her stomach today."
R04: Z A S T D O A M I
R05: N E S V U A S R E
R06: 100, 6, 1, 8, 9, 3. Target: 545.
R07: X E T D I A S G Q
R08: L N U I V T O M E
R09: 100, 50, 2, 6, 2, 3. Target: 128.
TTT: ANODDLINE - "It's an odd line, but this weed makes the king of the jungle sound fine."
R10: L I R T W E O F E
R11: P A N D I E T M A
R12: B T I L G O K A E
R13: R E R S A I P N Y
R14: 75, 100, 2, 8, 5, 9. Target: 543.
R15: W A L E S W O L D (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: T A B H O T U A L

Graeme: outbat
Mike: BLOAT (5)
DC: hottub ABOUT (5)
OT: ABLAUT (6) OBLATA (6) TALBOT (6)
Score: 0–5 (max 6)

Round 2: E T N A S R I L U

Graeme: LATRINES (8)
Mike: SALTIER (7)
DC: REALIST (7) UNREALIST (18)
OT: RETINULAS (18)
Score: 8–5 (max 24)

Round 3: 50, 75, 2, 5, 9, 8. Target: 130.

Graeme: 130. 75 + 50 + 5 (10)
Mike: 130. 75 + 50 + 5 (10)
Score: 18–15 (max 34)

Teatime teaser: EATSUNDAE -> NAUSEATED

Round 4: Z A S T D O A M I

Graeme: TOADS (5)
Mike: MASTOID (7)
DC: DIATOMS (7)
OT: SAMIZDAT (8)
Score: 18–22 (max 42)

Round 5: N E S V U A S R E

Graeme: AVENUES (7)
Mike: AVENUES (7)
DC: ENSURES (7)
OT: RAVENESS (8)
Score: 25–29 (max 50)

Round 6: 100, 6, 1, 8, 9, 3. Target: 545.

Graeme: 545. (6 - 1) x (100 + 9) (10)
Mike: -
Score: 35–29 (max 60)

Gyles talks about his relative, Jeremiah Brandreth, a Luddite, who is believed to be the last person in Britain to be beheaded.

Round 7: X E T D I A S G Q

Graeme: ASIDE (5)
Mike: STAGED (6)
DC: AGISTED (7)
Score: 35–35 (max 67)

Round 8: L N U I V T O M E

Graeme: MOTIVE (6)
Mike: OUTLINE (7)
DC: MOTEL (5) VIOLENT (7) INVOLUTE (8)
OT: MOULINET (8)
Score: 35–42 (max 75)

Round 9: 100, 50, 2, 6, 2, 3. Target: 128.

Graeme: 128. ((3 + 2) x 6) - 2 + 100 (10)
Mike: 128. 100 + 50 - ((6 x 3) + 2 + 2) (10)
Score: 45–52 (max 85)

Teatime teaser: ANODDLINE -> DANDELION

Round 10: L I R T W E O F E

Graeme: FERTILE (7)
Mike: FERTILE (7)
DC: FLOWER (6) FLOWIER (7) FLORET (6) FLOWERET (8)
Score: 52–59 (max 93)

Round 11: P A N D I E T M A

Graeme: MANDATE (7)
Mike: PAINTED (7)
DC: ANIMATED (8) TAIPAN (6)
OT: DIAMANTE (8) IMPANATE (8) PANDAITE (8) PANDEMIA (8) PATINAED (8)
Score: 59–66 (max 101)

Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "crotchety" and "crock".

Round 12: B T I L G O K A E

Graeme: GOALIE (6)
Mike: GLOBE (5)
DC: OBLIGATE (8) BOATLIKE (8)
Score: 65–66 (max 109)

Round 13: R E R S A I P N Y

Graeme: PRAYERS (7)
Mike: PRAISE (6)
DC: RESPRAY (7)
OT: RAPINERS (8)
Score: 72–66 (max 117)

Round 14: 75, 100, 2, 8, 5, 9. Target: 543.

Graeme: 542.
Mike: 543. ((100 + 9) x 5) - 2 (10)
Score: 72–76 (max 127)

Round 15: W A L E S W O L D

Graeme buzzes on 4 seconds to say SWALLOWED which is correct.
Final Score: 82–76 (max 137)

Graeme becomes an octochamp, but his octototal of just 678 points, puts him down at #7 seed, and as an interesting sidenote, he knocks out James Riddell, who he beat on his debut, from the top 8!!

Statistics Corner

Graeme:
Total score - 82
Raw score - 105
Total % of max - 60
Raw % of max - 77
Total average score per round - 5.5
Raw average score per round - 7.0
Number of maxes - 4

Mike:
Total score - 76
Raw score - 94
Total % of max - 55
Raw % of max - 69
Total average score per round - 5.1
Raw average score per round - 6.3
Number of maxes - 3

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=77

And Graeme's 8th win makes a certain audience member very relieved indeed!