c4countdown

Countdown recap for Tuesday 12th February 2008.

C1: Champion Tim Reypert (2 wins, 182 points.)
C2: Challenger Ian Scott.
DC: Susie Dent and James Whittaker.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.


R01: N D C A E A G B O
R02: E N O L S R I J T
R03: P S G T E O U S O
R04: A T P O N R A Q I
R05: 6, 7, 8, 3, 10, 25. Target: 245.
TTT: SIRPRONE - "He forms part of a captive audience"
R06: E I R T S A H D O
R07: Y R S I E I L C U
R08: E D I P S D E M T
R09: N H N O I E R D O
R10: 9, 2, 8, 1, 8, 100. Target: 983.
TTT: RUNICSON - "Mythical beasts in Oxford perhaps"
R11: V N F A U A M P E
R12: L A O T X E L M A
R13: I A B T N O K E Z
R14: 9, 10, 6, 1, 6, 25. Target: 617.
R15: P H O N E B O X E (conundrum)


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Tim has won his first two games without the need of the conundrum. While most people agree that his letters are fine (what else would you expect from a Scrabbler?) some have expressed concern about numbers, conundra/conundrums and consistency. However, as Jim pointed out yesterday, a close game will really reveal Tim's mettle ... but will today be that test?

Round 1: N D C A E A G B O
C1: BONDAGE (7)
C2: BANDAGE (7)
DC: DECAGON (7)
OT: DOGBANE (7) CONGAED (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)

DOGBANE refers to a variety of plants that are poisonous to dogs.

Round 2: E N O L S R I J T
C1: JOINERS (7)
C2: JOINERS (7)
DC: JOINTERS (8)
OT: ONLIEST (7) only a seven but is Ben Pugh's favourite word
Score: 14–14 (max 15)

Round 3: P S G T E O U S O
C1: STOOGES (7)
C2: SPOUTS (6)
DC: GOOSES (6) (vb. to poke in the bottom) GUSSET (6) (where one is goosed)
OT: OUTGOES (7)
Score: 21–14 (max 22)

Round 4: A T P O N R A Q I
C1: PATRON (6)
C2: RATION (6)
DC: TAIPAN (6)
OT: Quite a few sixes but nothing better
Score: 27–20 (max 28)

Round 5: 6, 7, 8, 3, 10, 25. Target: 245.
C1: 245.25*10-8+3 (10)
C2: 246.
Score: 37–20 (max 38)

Teatime teaser: SIRPRONE -> PRISONER

Round 6: E I R T S A H D O
C1: HARDIEST (8)
C2: ROASTED (7)
OT: ASTEROID (8) (Michael Wallace) HOARIEST (8) (Ben Pugh)
Score: 45–20 (max 46)

Round 7: Y R S I E I L C U
C1: SLUICE (6)
C2: SLUICE (6)
OT: CLERISY (7) (Joseph Bolas) CRUISIE (7) (Ben Pugh)
Score: 51–26 (max 53)

A CRUISIE is a variant spelling of CRUSIE which is a type of lamp with a handle that burns oil or tallow so Ben must have been burning the midnight oil to come up with that one,

Round 8: E D I P S D E M T
C1: IMPEDES (7)
C2: TIMES (5)
DC: DEMISTED (8)
Score: 58–26 (max 61)

Round 9: N H N O I E R D O
C1: HINDER (6)
C2: DINNER (6)
DC: HOODIE (6)
OT: Loads of sixes and nothing better
Score: 64–32 (max 67)

Round 10: 9, 2, 8, 1, 8, 100. Target: 983.
C1: 984.(9+1)*100-8-8 (7)
C2: -
CV: 983. (100+8+2)*9-8+1 (10)
Score: 71–32 (max 77)

Teatime teaser: RUNICSON -> UNICORNS

Round 11: V N F A U A M P E
C1: FAME (4)
C2: FAUNA (5)
DC: PAVANE (6)
OT: PNEUMA (6) (Conor Travers) UMFAAN (6) APEMAN (6)
Score: 71–37 (max 83)

PNEUMA is from the Greek for wind, air or breath and was used, in the past, to refer to the soul; an UMFAAN amongst the Xhosa-speaking people is an initiated male who is yet to take a wife, amongst the Zulu-speaking people it refers to a boy and if I use the term it is derogatory and aimed at my black domestic servant.

Round 12: L A O T X E L M A
C1: MALLET (6)
C2: totale
DC: MALATE (6)
OT: OATMEAL (7) (Ben Pugh) OXALATE (7) (Conor Travers)
Score: 77–37 (max 90)

Another winner from Ben, I hope his solver isn't battery charged

Round 13: I A B T N O K E Z
C1: OBTAIN (6)
C2: BATON (5)
DC: BEATNIK (7) BOTANIZE (8)
OT: DC get the only seven and the only eight
Score: 83–37 (max 98)

Round 14: 9, 10, 6, 1, 6, 25. Target: 617.
C1: 618.(10+9+6)*25-6-1 (7)
C2: 619.
Score: 90–37 (max 105)

One away appears to be as close as you can get which is irritating because I have spent 15 minutes trying to get this one when a quick solver check would have saved me the effort!

Round 15: P H O N E B O X E
C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say XENOPHOBE which is correct.
Score: 100–37 (max 115)

Tim, deservedly, hits his first century and does so with a very low available maximum. There were a few easy words missed today and at least one easy numbers game but this shouldn't take away from some good spots, like STOOGES, and an excellent conundrum spot: well done!


Further summaries are at:
http://www.thecountdowncorral.com/cd/se ... ?series=58

David O'Donnell wrote: One away appears to be as close as you can get which is irritating because I have spent 15 minutes trying to get this one when a quick solver check would have saved me the effort!

How do you do a quick solver check?

You just input the numbers into an online solver and it tells you what the solution is or whether there is one at all.

Cheers.

Meant to add that there is one at kountdown.co.uk

David O'Donnell wrote:Meant to add that there is one at kountdown.co.uk

I thought Kountdown came up with American spellings (edit: words that aren't allowed etc)?

Yes, it does. It's no good for the letters but fine for the numbers.

David O'Donnell wrote:Yes, it does. It's no good for the letters but fine for the numbers.

My Bad. I remember saying in the mailing list about a solver that can find all possible numbers (from 1 - 1000) that can be solved with the 6 numbers. The Countdown Lite program designed by Jerry Humphreys has that feature too.

The best one is probably http://www.crosswordtools.com/numbers-game/ because it uses some pretty smart heuristics to select the "most intuitive" solution.

Hi david,
In round 4, I have spotted a seven letter word that you have missed ARATION (7). I think it means to plough tillage. Also, couldn't you have RETINOLS in the second round?

ARATION (neither is OTARINE, for those Scrabblers who are wondering what letters you can add to RATION as a root word) isn't in the ODE 2nd edition revised so therefore wouldn't be allowed; RETINOLS cannot be pluralised. Actually, it's a real pity RETINOL cannot be pluralised since you could then have LINTERS as another seven that is never the maximum.